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Thunderstorms and Associated Weather Phenomena
Wind,
flash floods, hail,
lightning, and tornadoes.
All are spawned by the cumulonimbus, or thunderstorm clouds,
sometimes all at the same time. This cloud
is an amazingly efficient weather factory.
Nearly 2,000 thunderstorm
cells are estimated to be present over the
planet at any given time. It is estimated
that globally there are 16 million thunderstorms each year.
In the United States, central Florida has almost 100 thunderstorm
days annually. By comparison the number of
thunderstorm days in Wyoming varies across the state from about 20 to 60 per
year.
The map below shows the average annual number of
thunderstorm days in Wyoming based on a national map by the National
Climatic Data Center (NCDC, 1981).
Thunderstorms occur with the greatest frequency in the eastern
counties. This is partly caused by the warmer
surface temperatures allowed by the relatively low elevations in this
region, but it is primarily the result of the more humid surface air there.
Moist air moving across the Great Plains is often too shallow to
cross the Laramie Range and the Big Horn Mountains.
As a result, the surface air is drier on the west side of these
topographic barriers and thunderstorms are correspondingly less common.
Moisture from the Pacific Ocean fuels thunderstorms in western
Wyoming, but the intervening middle third of the state, and especially the
Big Horn Basin area, is relatively protected from thunderstorms by
topographic barriers to low-level moisture airflow. Thunderstorms
occur most often during the summer months of June, July and August when
surface temperatures are highest, reaching a peak in the number of
thunderstorm days in July. Almost no
thunderstorms occur from November through February.
Did you know that the Weather Forecast Office in Riverton offers weather spotter and safety training? Each spring and summer staff from the Riverton office travel across western and central Wyoming providing the two hour multimedia presentations free of charge. Weather spotters provide important reports to the NWS in Riverton during the thunderstorm season. Click here for the current training schedule and for more information.
Latest NWS Riverton Warnings, Statements, and Outlooks
Tornado Warning | Hazardous Weather Outlook |
Severe Thunderstorm Warning |
|
Flash Flood Warning | Flash Flood Statement |
Storm Prediction Center Information
SPC Severe Weather Discussion - Day 3 |
Today's National Severe Storm Reports |
Weather Education
NOAA Education Resources for Students and Teachers |
WFO Riverton Lightning Pamphlet |
Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Lightning |
Floods/Flash Floods |
Winter Storms |
Hurricanes |
Tsunamis |
Basic Spotters Field Guide |
Advanced Spotters Field Guide |
Owlie Skywarn Homepage - Excellent site for young children to learn more about weather. |
FEMA for Kids - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has put together this site of useful, informative resources. |
Some Helpful or Interesting Links
References:
Martner, Brooks E. Wyoming Climate Atlas,
University of Nebraska Press 1986.
Lyons, Walter A. Ph.D. The Handy Weather Answer
Book,Visible Ink Press, 1997