What are the chances of me seeing a thunderstorm?

Question

In April,May, and begining of June in the southern U.S. and/or the midwest? I'll be traveling through both areas next year. In the middle of April I'll be going through the south, and proably in late May through the midwest. I really really really want to see a true thunderstorm. I live in the San Francsico bay area. For you meteorologists, you know our storms are nothing. If the wind gusts go above 25+ mph, everyone freaks out. its funny. Anyways, let me know the best places to go that have a really good chance of having thunderstorms. Thanks!

Answer 1

Try late May in the TX - OK panhandle region. Watch out...they have some big ones.

Answer 2

I grew up in the thunderstorm capital of the world, I think. I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale. In the summertime, we'd get thunderstorms just about every single day. Meteorologists down there actually call the Everglades "a weather machine", because in the summertime, in the afternoon heat, they literally churn out enough moisture to build these wonderfully massive thunderheads.

By mid-afternoon, they start marching east and by rush hour, you're getting rained on, with the full effect -- thunder and lightning and gusty winds.

I LOVE a good thunderstorm.

I don't live down there anymore, but I remember sitting outside and watching these things build to the west.

Answer 3

We're experiencing 60+ MPH winds in Illinois right now.  Last night, we had high winds that knocked out our power and 3+ inches of rain.  Friday night, we had tornado warnings.

So come to my house right now, lol.  I promise you a good show.

In the midwest, at least right now, the weather is very active.  I'd say you'd experience a good storm at least once.  And if you have a chance to go to Florida, I agree with the other poster: I lived there for two years, and you get storms all summer long.

Answer 4

We have lived in central Indiana for 4 years.  we are from NJ, and believe me the storms here FREAK ME OUT. A week after we moved in a tornado hit our house (only F-1, messed up our roof, trees, lots of debris), and we had no prior experience with this!  The storms here can have 60 mph winds easily, strong thunderstorms seem to occur about once every 2 weeks all summer long.  If you are caught in one it will be like nothing you have ever seen!  I hope that you don't.  They get everything here, we have floods, tornadoes, earthquakes... The East coast is so calm compared to this. In NJ we lost power twice in my life (I am 36).  We lose power once a month here!  It is not as organized as in NJ, and we live in a medium sized city of 150,000 people too.

Answer 5

Your chances of seeing a thunderstorm in either the south or the midwest will be quite good. However, the late spring is a very dangerous time in both areas as the cold fronts are still moving through those areas, combined with the warm gulf air streaming upwards towards the mid section of the country is likely to set off some very severe weather, even tornadoes, especially in the midwest. The best time to view thunderstorms in the south is when the weather has reached a constant warm air temp.. say in June-September. And a wind gust of 25 mph is nothing where I come from and nobody freaks out.. now if it gets above 45 mph with heavy storms then yes, it is likely to spook a few.. But then I am from Hurricane Katrina country and now a wind below 100 mph is nothing to me! Good luck on catching a good T-storm.. they can be exciting but take cover!