Hail and Lightning Occurrence in Mountain Thunderstorms

Abstract

The characteristics of northern Rocky Mountain thunderstorms with and without hail are compared on the basis of visual observations of hail at surface stations and electric field meter records of lightning frequency. Data from a sample of 25 thunderstorms in western Montana indicate that hailstorms generally produce lightning at a higher rate and for a longer period than storms without hail. The largest hailstones fell during the storm with most lightning activity.