2017 – Texas is the Lightning Leader

Lightning Protection

LEC tracks weather information from around the world and provides information and alerts to our clients and prospects.  The following information is from a Vaisala press release.   Their NLDN lightning data is used by the National Weather Service and meteorologists across the country helping them prepare communities for severe weather allowing employers to reposition outdoor crews, air traffic controllers to re-route local flights and the community to seek shelter when outside, all in the name of safety.

Weather press release dated January 9, 2018.

2017’s Top 10 States with the Most Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flashes:

Texas had more than 3.3 million flashes that reached the ground, posing a hazard to human life and property.

Oklahoma came in second at 1.4 million flashes followed by Louisiana, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Mississippi.

2017’s Top 10 Dates for Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flashes:

Spring and early summer are key time periods for lightning in the U.S. with April 29 and 30 taking the top two spots. Rounding out the top 10: July 23, May 20, May 28, May 19, July 22, June 18, June 13, April 2 and June 15. Dates that happen in succession are likely due to a severe storm that started in the Midwest and had a significant lightning impact as it traveled to the south and east.

U.S. Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flashes 2008-2017:

This data shows the largest lightning flash densities happening in Florida and along the Gulf Coast on average over the last 10 years.  Interestingly, the report found that despite numerous extreme weather events in 2017, including three hurricanes, there were 12 percent fewer cloud-to-ground lightning flashes, compared to the 10-year average. Looking at data over the last three decades, fewer flashes in 2017 is not an indication of a trend, rather an example of how some years see fewer while others see more flashes.