We are now midway through May, and that means we
are also heading further into spring.
Southern Colorado is no stranger to frequent thunderstorms, but just
how common is lightning this time of year?
FOX 21 Storm team meteorologist Ryan Matoush breaks down the
data.
It's that time of year where showers and thunderstorms just
like this are becoming much more common.
And with those showers and thunderstorms, we have an increase
in lightning activity.
If you're curious where we are for the season, lightning
typically peaks late July, and right now we're still at
the beginning of that upward trend.
The time of day is going to favor mid to
late afternoon.
There is a small peak in early June, but beyond
that, lightning is most frequent during the middle to late
afternoon hours.
And then some fun facts for you.
Lightning is actually 50,000°F, and that is roughly 5 times
hotter than the surface of the sun.
We also have something called the bolt from the blue,
and that means you're not safe during any thunderstorm.
All thunderstorms are dangerous because they all contain lightning, so
even if you're not under a thunderstorm just like this
one, you're still in danger.
Lightning can strike 10 to 15 miles away from its
parent thunderstorm.
All right, that's it.
More showers and thunderstorms likely on the way as we
head further into spring.