Question About Thunderstorms?

Question

Here in Detroit, during the summertime, I've notice Thunderheads that billow up and have the heaviest rain/hail core ever with the biggest Pileus/Cumulonimbus cloud. However, it doesn't produce lightning. Why is that?

One storm was at it's mature stage (it produced torrential rains when it came through, although it wasn't enough the block my hearing of the thunder which I didn't hear).

Answer 1

To learn About Thunderstorms go to this link
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/tstorms/tstorms_intro.htm

for Lightning go to this link
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/lightning/lightning_intro.htm

Answer 2

The lightning sometimes occur within the cumulonimbus cloud.In such cases if it is a day time and the cloud is overhead ,you may not be able to see the lightning.If the lightning occurs more than 4 or 5 Kms above,you may not be able to hear the thunder also,even though heavy rain mayfall at that time.

Answer 3

It could be than since it was summer, the cloud was very warm and did not have much graupel in it. Graupel, sometimes referred to as soft hail, is thought to induce the charge separation in storms that produces lightning. Usually strong storms are tall enough that they are into the "mixed phase" region where water and ice coexist (usually about -10 to -20 for optimal charging). However, if it is really warm up through the atmosphere, you won't get as much graupel formation.

Answer 4

Most of the lightning is going on inside the cloud, because of the daylight, you are not able to see it, when lightning does come out of that cloud it is usually cloud to ground. Also the storm may not be at that stage yet.

Answer 5

Sometimes, in very moist atmospheric conditions the clouds do not generate as strong an electrical field, thus lightning is more limited. This is common in tropical areas.