Suppose you wake up on a Summer morning and notice that the outside temperature

Question

Suppose you wake up on a Summer morning and notice that the outside temperature is relatively cool. However, your local TV meteorologist says that the atmosphere is currently very unstable and severe weather is likely in the afternoon. As the day progresses you notice that the temperature increases and, sure enough, severe thunderstorms form. How were thunderstorms able to occur?

The low-level moisture was increased thus lowering the surface air parcel's LCL.

Surface heating removed all of the CIN that was present in the morning.

Surface heating decreased the temperature just above the surface thus removing all of the CIN that was present in the morning.

Wind profiles became more favorable for severe thunderstorms as the day progressed.

The low-level moisture was increased thus lowering the surface air parcel's LCL.

Surface heating removed all of the CIN that was present in the morning.

Surface heating decreased the temperature just above the surface thus removing all of the CIN that was present in the morning.

Wind profiles became more favorable for severe thunderstorms as the day progressed.

Explanation / Answer

Answer: Surface heating decreased the temperature just above the surface thus removing all the CIN that was present in the morning.

Explanation: Moisture, rising of unstable air, lifting mechanism are the three basic things in thunderstorm formation. In fact key ingredient to a thunderstorm is warm air, at the surface the sun heats the surface of the earth, also warms the air above it. If this warm surface air is forced to rise, it transfers heat from the surface of the earth to the upper levels of the atmosphere.

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