Seasonal, Regional, and Storm-Scale Variability of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Characteristics in Florida

Abstract

Abstract Seasonal, regional, and storm-scale variations of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning characteristics in Florida are presented. Strong positive CG (+CG) and negative CG (−CG) flashes (i.e., having large peak current) are emphasized since they often are associated with strong storms, structural damage, and wildfire ignitions. Although strong −CG flashes are most common during the warm season (May–September) over the peninsula, the greatest proportion of strong +CG flashes occurs during the cool season (October–April) over the panhandle. The warm season exhibits the smallest +CG percentage but contains the greatest +CG flash densities, due in part to more ambiguous +CG reports (15–20 kA). The more frequent occurrence of ambiguous +CG reports helps explain the unusually small average +CG peak current during the warm season, whereas strong +CG reports (>20 kA) appear to be responsible for the greater average warm season +CG multiplicity. The −CG flash density, multiplicity, and peak current appear to be directly related, exhibiting their greatest values during the warm season when deep storms are most common. A case study examines the atmospheric conditions and storm-scale processes associated with two distinct groups of storms on 13–14 May 2007. Although these groups of storms form in close proximity, several factors combine to produce predominately strong +CG and −CG flashes in the northern (south Georgia) and southern (north Florida) regions, respectively. Results suggest that heat and smoke very near preexisting wildfires are key ingredients in producing reversed-polarity (+CG dominated) storms that often ignite subsequent wildfires.