GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — As 2020 wraps up, Meteorologist Samantha Jacques is here to remind you that all storms come to an end…
No, really! It is scientifically proven that storms have to come to an end.
You see, thunderstorms go through a lifecycle. There are three main ingredients that form a thunderstorm: Moisture, lift, and instability. When those ingredients come together just right, the air will rise up quickly, form a cloud, and rain will begin to fill up the cloud. This starts phase one of a thunderstorm.
As more air continues to move up into the cloud, more water droplets will form, eventually becoming too heavy for the cloud to hold anymore, releasing the storm. This is the most dangerous phase of the storm because when that rain interacts with the conditions at the surface, it can cause a dangerous situation.
But, eventually, the energy being sent up into the storm will run out. The “updraft” weakens and the storm ends.
While the start of 2021 does not necessarily mark the end of this wild storm we have been braving, it marks the end of the uncertainty that came along with it. We now understand this storm, we know how to combat it, and scientists believe they even found a way to stop it.
We learned in 2020 to trust science. So, have trust when we say that storms have to come to an end.
Here’s to 2021 and the calm that's sure to eventually come with it.
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