Dear Tom,
I have noticed that hot days and thunderstorms go hand in hand. What is the connection?
— Laura Cook
Dear Laura,
Your observation is correct. In its simplest form, a thunderstorm consists of a powerful current of warm, rising air — rising because it is buoyant, and buoyant because at any given height above the ground, it is warmer (and therefore less dense and lighter) than the air surrounding it at that level. So it makes sense that higher temperatures at ground level are favorable for thunderstorm formation. But “warmth” is a relative thing. If the air aloft (say at 15,000 feet) is warm enough, thunderstorms will not form even if it is hot on the ground. Conversely, thunderstorms can form even when it is cool, if the air aloft is sufficiently cold.
