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How to: Storm Spotting

Thunderstorms can form and dissipate quickly, especially in hot summer months. At times, it can seem like they strike without warning. However, there are tell-tale visual cues that can serve as an early warning system for almost all approaching frontal storm systems. Provided you have a relatively clear line of sight, you can spot an approaching storm in a significant amount of time before it actually strikes.

Instructions

- 1
  Look to the direction of the prevailing winds in your part of the world. In the tropical and polar regions of the globe, the prevailing winds blow from east to west. In the middle latitudes, they blow from west to east. The prevailing winds steer almost all major weather systems, so if a storm is approaching, this is likely the direction from which it will be coming.
- 2
  Scan the horizon for white, cotton ball-shaped clouds that are swelling and expanding in diameter and height, especially if it is early in the day.
- 3
  Watch your thermometer and anemometer for sudden shifts in wind speed and direction accompanied by sudden drops in temperature. The combination of these two factors along with the expanding clouds is the tell-tale sign of an approaching storm front.

Nature