Thunder and Lightning. Lightning is the most spectacular element of a thunderstorm. In fact it is how thunderstorms got their name. Wait a minute, what does thunder have to do with lightning? Well, lightning causes thunder.... read more
In a typical thunderstorm, as rain starts to fall it cools the air and starts dragging air down with it. This causes the updraft to weaken and a downdraft starts to form. Eventually the downdraft completely overwhelms the updraft, cutting off the storm's source of power. read more
Thunderstorms can look like tall heads of cauliflower or they can have “anvils.” An anvil is the flat cloud formation at the top of the storm. An anvil forms when the updraft (warm air rising) has reached a point where the surrounding air is about the same temperature or even warmer. read more