A Comparison between Hail Size and Vertical Extent of Lightning Strokes

The intent of this study is to find a correlation between hail severity and height of in-cloud lightning in previously observed hailfalls in various thunderstorms.  Thunderstorms across the state of Oklahoma within the 21^st century are used to study this relationship because of advances in lightning indication technology and greater number of hail reports via social media by emergency managers, law enforcement, and the public.  Many research studies in the past have looked into the way cloud-to-ground lightning and lightning flash rates play a role in hail production and particular hail size.  This case study looks to use this data to understand lightning and hail relationships in greater depth by use of archived Nexrad radar data, local storm reports provided by the National Weather Service, and the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array.  The study looks to examine a large spectrum of hail sizes to provide better insight of how placement of in-cloud lightning can be a predictor of damaging hail.