Developing Stage
Mature Stage
Dissipating
Thunderstorm Stages of Development
Decorative Image: Dissipating stage.
Speaker Notes:
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Showers and Thunderstorms go through three stages. Those stages are:
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1. The developing stage. This is where warm air rises, cools and condenses into ‘puffy’ clouds called ‘cumulus’ clouds. During the developing stage, no precipitation is occurring. If the cumulus cloud continues to grow higher vertically it may reach the stage of thunderstorm development.
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2. The mature stage. This is where an updraft AND a downdraft co-exist. The strength of the storm is determined by the strength of the updraft. Spotters can assess the strength of the updraft by looking at the tall , vertical column of the cloud. If it appears ‘hard’ like a cauliflower and has a distinct back edge between the cloud and the sky, it is likely a strong updraft.
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3. The dissipating stage occurs when the downdraft of rain cooled air dominates and ‘cuts off’ the inflow of warm moist air (the updraft). Spotters can identify when a storm is in the dissipating stage because the storm no longer exhibits those updraft characteristics found in the mature stage. Instead, the cloud appears ‘fuzzy’ and indistinct. Severe weather is still possible, but the storm is dying.