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Upward Lightning

Posted on by MichaelV (Otsego)

Lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge that occurs typically during a thunderstorm. This discharge occurs between electrically charged regions of a cloud (called intra-cloud lightning or IC), between two clouds (CC lightning), or between a cloud and the ground (CG lightning).

The charged regions in the atmosphere temporarily equalize themselves through this discharge referred to as a flash. A lightning flash can also be a strike if it involves an object on the ground. Lightning creates light in the form of black body radiation from the very hot plasma created by the electron flow, and sound in the form of thunder. Lightning may be seen and not heard when it occurs at a distance too great for the sound to carry as far as the light from the strike or flash.

Upward lightning strikes are caused by a charge separation between clouds and the ground, whether that be within clouds, within a single cloud or between a cloud and the surrounding air. Upward discharges of lightning most often occur from towers, tall buildings or mountain tops. They are usually triggered by a rapid change in charges in the sky caused by a recent lightning strike. I have never seen these in person so one can imagine how hard it would be to photograph it.

We are finally going to enter a period of climbing temperatures as we creep up towards our normal of near 60 by Sunday.

A slow moving area of high pressure will drift into the Great Lakes region today and tonight. The high will remain over our area through the weekend. The high will bring dry and quiet conditions. Mainly clear skies are expected the next several days.

The next chance of precipitation comes Tuesday night into Wednesday of next week so we are looking at a prolonged period of dry weather. We are forecasting a moderating trend in temperatures the next few days. Highs today will top out in the 40s, warming the 50s for Friday and Saturday and reaching near 60 on Sunday. Normal highs for this time of year are in the upper 50s to around 60 degrees.

 

Category: Michigan Weather Forecast

39 thoughts on “Upward Lightning”

  1. I just got an email from the other side of the state. She wanted to know if I felt the rumble from the earthquake. It started in Canada and the time ws around 8PM . I did not feel it. Did anybody?

  3. If the snow all melts and the greens are actually thawed I am considering golfing this weekend instead of snowmobiling! Imagine that!

    1. The snows already melted on the local golf courses I drove by! Playing 18 on Sunday! Who gives a crap if the greens are a little wet, the SUN and WARMTH ARE GONNA BE AWESOME!!!!!!

  4. Get ready for a very COLD April night! Look for lows around 25 degrees! INCREDIBLE April COLD!!!

  6. WOW!!! It’s 53 at the airport!! That blows away The GRR NWS lowball high of 45 that they predicted today!! Hopefully that trend continues!! Get out and enjoy the WARMTH AND SUNSHINE!!! Winter’s long misery is over!!!

  8. It is nice outside and only going to get nicer!! The sun feels awesome.

  10. Optimism?…odd, considering we should all be aware that the month of May will average 42 degrees.

  13. At this point April has been one of the coldest in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes area. On Saturday April 28th post I will look at where we are at that time (the mean and departures will go up between now and then) and how the summer of the past cold April starts ended up. As of April 17th here is how Detroit, Flint and Saginaw rank for the first 17 days.
    Detroit 38.2° (normal average 47.0°). this ranks as the 3rd coldest first 17 days of April at Detroit. Flint 34.3° (the normal average as of April 17th is 44.1°) this April ranks as Flints 2nd coldest first 17 days. Saginaw, The first 17 days have an average this year of 33.6° (the normal average is 43.7°) this has been the coldest first 17 days or April in Saginaw history.
    Slim

    1. Yep! No all-time month records for April when all is said and done. Still looking at maybe top 10 for some locations – and not for others. The gaps should start to quickly shrink over the next several days!

  15. 85 inches of snow now for the winter season out at thee YARDofBRICKS above average Snow.. crazzy it’s almost then end of April and we are talking snow still .. INDYDOG14!

  16. After 18 days in April the current mean temperature here in Grand Rapids is a cold 34.2° that is -11.4° below average. There now has been 6” of snow fall this April.
    Slim

  17. “The warming trend continues into early next week, with highs in the mid-60s on Monday. The warmest day of the stretch will be Tuesday, with highs expected to flirt with 70-degrees.” WOOD

    1. We can only hope 175 days now since our last 70* degree day in GR that’s crazzy! INDYDOG14!!

    2. Mookie, yesterday you made a comment “Just as I suspected. Multiple locations in Sothern Lower Michigan are outside the top 10 coldest when looking at April 1-15th”
      What locations were you talking about and what are the readings you are using?
      Slim

      1. If you clicked the link, the map had all the major reporting locations through April 15th and their rankings. The following 3 cooler days then boosted the rankings a little, but the numbers will be quickly warming soon!

  18. 1.25 inches of fresh snow and everything is white! Temps in the mid 20’s tonight and everything will freeze up including the greens at the golf courses, incredible April cold!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. There were golfers out in the snow yesterday at our course. I have been out once, but has been too cold for me lately.

  20. It is beautiful outside!! Roads are dry, robins are out and the sky is blue. No snow!! 🙂 Looking forward to the warmer temps coming this weekend.

  21. I am officially turning my heat off this is getting crazzy end of April and my furnace has been running since November! INDYDOG14!

    1. April 30th, 2017 high of 44 degrees in GR. May 2nd, 2017 high of 46 degrees in GR. Glad it will be warmer this year!

  22. Now that was a pointless WWA! Green grass and sunshine this morning with nothing but warmer temps upcoming! The forecast this weekend looks absolutely perfect.

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