At what altitude do storms form?

Thunderstorms typically reach altitudes above 10,000 metres (33,000 feet) and sometimes more than 20,000 metres (66,000 feet). When the instability is high, the atmosphere moist, and winds favourable, thunderstorms can extend to the tropopause, that is, the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Where do storms mostly occur?

Thunderstorms occur most often in the tropical latitudes over land, where the air is most likely to heat quickly and form strong updrafts.

Are there storms on mountains?

Besides simple heating of elevated land from solar insolation, mountain terrain can brew up storms. An air mass shunted up a mountainside can (through what meteorologists call orographic lifting) form clouds and precipitation.

Are thunderstorms worse in the mountains?

The main reason that high elevations are dangerous is that, without trees or buildings, you are the tallest thing on the open terrain. To minimize your risk, hike the higher elevations in the morning and head to lower ground in the afternoon when storms are more likely.

Where will thunderstorms not develop?

Compared to more active parts of the United States, thunderstorms are relatively rare in Alaska, New England, North Dakota, Montana, and other northern states where the air is generally cold. Thunderstorms are also usually rare along the Pacific Coast, since the summertime air there is relatively dry.

What causes storms to happen?

Thunderstorms form when warm, moist air rises into cold air. The warm air becomes cooler, which causes moisture, called water vapor, to form small water droplets – a process called condensation. This circuit of rising and falling air is called a convection cell. If this happens a small amount, a cloud will form.

Where do thunderstorms occur in the atmosphere?

Troposphere
Explanation: Almost all weather occurs in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, called the Troposphere. The exception being large storms like hurricanes and large Thunderstorms. These storms have clouds with great vertical development and the tops of these storms go into the Stratosphere.

How do mountains affect thunderstorms?

The higher the mountain, the lower the temperatures at its peak. This forces the clouds to release the precipitation in the form of thunderstorms in the summer and severe snowstorms in the winter. The orographic effect occurs on the windward side — the side that faces the wind.

What are mountain thunderstorms?

Two atmospheric conditions are needed for typical mountain thunderstorms. 1. An air mass that will allow deep convection, air rising buoyantly for several kilometers. But the main impetus for a typical summer thunderstorm is the heating of the mountains by the sun.

Do mountains prevent storms?

Mountains, however, have much colder air, which is more stable and rarely creates conditions for storms. Add in that it’s much harder to spot a tornado in a mountainous area and that fewer people live in these higher elevations, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for less noticeable tornado activity [source: Swanson].

Why is thunder so loud in the mountains?

However, because of the temperature inversion air warming as you go up, in Elevated storms, the sound waves are trapped near the ground or get bent back toward earth or refracted. This trapping and refraction of sound can cause addition sound and amplify the sound of thunder, making it louder sounding.