Thunderstorm

A spring thunderstorm in Iowa caused by extremes in weather fronts due to warm and cold air in early spring.

• What time of year do thunderstorms happen the most?

• Is it warm or cold when thunderstorms happen?
• What does it feel like before a thunderstorm and what does it feel like after?

Students could:

• Reflect about storms and when they happen most often should lead to some consensus that the majority of thunderstorms happen in the spring. 
• Study the average temperatures throughout the year for different areas of the United States leading to understanding of the temperature changes necessary to cause storms. 
• Collect and tabulate data from student observations or weather websites. Comparisons of storms in the Midwest to other areas, such as Utah, can also be done.

• The Wonder of Science | 3-ESS2-1: Seasonal Weather Conditions: Instructional resources, assessments, videos, and other phenomena for this standard.
• UCAR Center for Science Education | From Cloud to Storm: Lesson plan revolving around the conditions that cause storms and when they are most likely to happen.
• Weather Underground: Current weather, forecasts and almanac.
• Real Time Lightning Map: Real time map of lightning strikes.
• NOAA | Severe Weather Data: Data by county of weather events, including an interactive severe weather map.