These thunderstorms are incredible how they fix themselves along one particular convergence point where the updrafts are strongest but don't really advance further.
Yup. These terrain anchored storms can't survive without lift from mountains, and monsoon moisture is often elevated. Every day storms appear in the same places and rain themselves out immediately if there is not enough windshear.
These storms always seem to die out as the sun sets. How come? I mean it's kind of a silly question, but it's not necessarily unusual for storms to keep going throughout the night. Does it have to do with the semi-arid to arid climate? That storms are more reliant on the sun to sustain themselves, as opposed to a more humid climate.
These storms aren't governed by large scale weather events like incoming cold fronts. Instead, they rely on masses of monsoonal moisture from the south, which helps storms form during the dry summer (places west of the sierras have a mediterranean climate with rain in the winter, while the great basin east of it has semi-arid or arid climates. These afternoon thunderstorms are fueled by daytime heating of the ground, and as the mountains are closest to the cold air loft and help redirect wind upwards, they help initiate thunderstorms. Usually they die at sunset because there is no more heating, and shade from clouds and rain helps cool things off a bit, weakening buoyancy. However, some storms can keep going overnight in Nevada. Here is a good read: www.fs.fed.us/psw/cirmount/wkgrps/gloria/publications/pdf/Bishop_mtn_thunderstorms_031607.pdf
They rely on moisture and heat. This dies down as the sun sets but very rarely, extremely extremely powerful thunderstorms can sometimes last during nighttime. But that’s really really unlikely.
I go for the rising moisture from the vegetation-covered land. That part of California is not arid nor is it a desert. So it's not necessary to have temperatures heat up to 100F + during the heat of the day. Over eighty and over ninety degree temps will do, unless the land is stricken with severe drought conditions. In that case, a thunderstorm can not form that easily. A major storm system coming onshore from the Pacific would be able to restore the water levels.
These thunderstorms tend to have lp structure with the shriveled rotating updraft as they dissipate. However, they are strong enough or last long enough to be classified as supercells.
Yup. It's the equilibrium level, or the height at which the rising air parcel loses enough heat through condensation that it is equal in density to the surrounding air. Momentum can carry it higher in the form of overshooting tops before it falls back down. On a skew-T it is when the temperature exceeds the moist adiabat.
@@itzrenzo8960 Glad you like it! These are from surveillance cameras mounted on radio towers across california and nevada used to detect wildfires. I edit all the footage together to archive it and also add my own footage from time to time.
They may look impressive, but are mostly just short-lived single-cell / pulse storms. The tall updrafts can be fast-moving and strong, but they rain themselves out almost immediately as they are stationary. Supercells are long-lived because wind shear separates the downdraft from the updraft.
