Talking Severe Weather and Lightning

This is Wisconsin's Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness week. Today's topic is severe storms and lightning. For starters, did you know warnings are not issued for lightning?  Here's the two main weather features that trigger Severe Thunderstorm warnings. 

 One thing to keep in mind is that any severe storm can spin up a tornado or cause flash flooding. But as we know, most severe thunderstorms come with lightning. And the stats aren't pretty. Check out some interesting lightning fatality stats here in the U.S.  So what are some safety tips to avoid getting injured during storms?  Stay away from energy conductors like metal and water.  Lightning will also strike the tallest object near by, so even if you are in a car, if you are near taller trees, that can still pose a risk to injury if you're nearby the action. It's best to get indoors and away from windows. But what about when there is no watch or warning issued? The Ready Weather meteorologists will share the severe weather outlook from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. This gives you a head's up if conditions are prime for active weather and it's put into five categories of severity. 

Even though we are tracking flurries today, severe weather can happen anytime, especially as we approach our warmer months.

I'm meteorologist Rebecca Schuld