TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) -The warm months across the Midwest bring a common sightthunderstorms.<\/p>\n
Since we all like to get outside when the temperature gets warmer, we need to know how to spot a thunderstorm.<\/p>\n
These are usually formed with big clouds.<\/p>\n
At the front of the storm, on the bottom, you may see what we call a shelf cloud.<\/p>\n
It sticks out from the bottom of the storm, as one long cloud.<\/p>\n
On the front part of the storm at the top is what we call the mammatus.<\/p>\n
This looks like a much bigger shelf angling out ahead of the top of the storm.<\/p>\n
After a storm passes through, the back side has some specific characteristics as well.<\/p>\n
On the bottom is what looks like the shelf cloud, except it is more compact.<\/p>\n
This is what we call the wall cloud.<\/p>\n
The wall cloud can also be the start of a tornado developing.<\/p>\n
On the back side of the storm is called the flanking line.<\/p>\n
This is what we see as the storm goes away, and these clouds look more scattered out, and not as full.<\/p>\n
Finally the last two parts may be the most important.<\/p>\n
This first line is called a spiraling updraft.<\/p>\n
This is the warm air that fuels the storm.<\/p>\n
Once it makes it to the top of the storm, we get a downdraft.<\/p>\n
This is where wind, hail, and rain are formed as they make their way to the ground.<\/p>\n
Now something else we usually associate with a thunderstorm is lightning.<\/p>\n
So next time Ill be talking about heat lightning, and whether or not its actually real.<\/p>\n
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\nThe Anatomy Of A Thunderstorm - WTHITV.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"