Safety first when observing thunderstorms

Watching a good storm can be an entertaining summertime activity.
Watching a good storm can be an entertaining summertime activity.

Few things grab our attention like a midsummer thunderstorm. Steamy temperatures and turbulent atmospheric conditions often conspire to produce amazing visual pyrotechnics and house-shaking booms.

Thunderstorms occur when cold upper air descends and warm, moist air rises. When these air masses collide, they form thick cumulonimbus clouds, often referred to as “thunderheads.” Thunderstorms may begin…