Convective Environments Associated with Florida Lightning Events

Florida annually leads the U.S. in lightning fatalities. Of particular concern are first cloud-to-ground (FCG) lightning events, which are difficult to forecast and can catch people off-guard especially during outdoor recreational activities and labor. Our recent published study investigated the environmental characteristics of warm-season FCG events across the western Florida peninsula.

Among nine regional flow patterns identified by the National Weather Service Tampa Bay, some are associated with a less moist and more unstable atmosphere one hour before an FCG event, while other regimes exhibit a more moist and less unstable atmosphere. However, regardless of flow pattern, FCG events consistently feature substantially greater instability and moisture than do null events.