Watts, Watches, and Warnings: An Analysis of 2008–18 Lightning Strike Dispersion and the Dissemination of NWS Weather Alerts in Mid-Atlantic U.S. States

Severe weather impacts are a critical component of research analysis in mid-latitude regions with ever-adjusting climates. One of the most critical components to understanding is the occurrence of Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCC). Accompanied with these massive features is frequently the unmistakable visible and auditory component of lightning and thunder. A combination that strikes fear into the hearts of many, looking at historical perceptions of astraphobia. This poster serves to highlight improvements made throughout the past decade (2008-2018) in remote sensing technology in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. with respect to spatial identification of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in synoptic and mesoscale storm systems. Looking at comparison of total lightning strikes counts in Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C., and Virginia using recent flash count totals from data taken from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) as well as imagery from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) on board the recently launched GOES-R satellite. It will also incorporate an analysis of the historical watches and warning issues that have been distributed in the Mid-Atlantic Region, derived from issues from the National Weather Service Forecasting Offices in Mt. Holly NJ, Sterling VA, and Wakefield VA.