• Friday-What'sUP June 11 - 10:50 am

When you're looking at today's shot, if you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you better hit the ground fast! This lightning bolt strikes near the Ontonagon Marina and Z-man seems to have a front row seat for the action! Hopefully he was on dry land, because out in a boat is not the safest place to be during a storm that's zapping the earth with those electric charges. I bet you didn't know that an actual lightning bolt is only about one inch wide… I was amazed at that fact, as well as the tidbit that lightning seems to flicker, because it may actually be several different strokes in the same spot, one right after the other. Just another force of nature here UP North, that shows its dangerous side, while displaying beauty and wonder at the same time.

You can strike while the U.P. Pasties are hot and free, if you're one of the first 400 at Agassiz park, for Pasty Fest 2005, July 2nd in Calumet. Festivities will start off with a parade at 10:00 a.m. proceeding through Calumet, arriving at the park. Once there you can enjoy the Pasty Bake-off Competition too!

What awesome picture for a Friday morning!

Does thunder follow lightening or lightening follow thunder? It sure was rock and rolling the other night. I saw pink skies at night.

What a shot!

Congratulations on a difficult shot...

Super. Because we don't have many trees, we see lightening a lot, but this shot by the marina is great. Got me shivering.

What type of shutter speed would one need to capture such a surge of engergy?

Awesome Z-man! This is a great desktop wallpaper.

Thunder follows lightening.

Re: Ben Franklin
Since is speed of sound (thunder) is much lower than the speed of light (about 700 mph vs. 186,000 miles/sec) unless you are right there. In which case the science doesn't matter. :-)

Ben Franklin's right. An easy way to remember: light moves faster than sound.

There was a big thunderstorm that sat off to the north of my house for hours last night. Lots of lightning, but no thunder (maybe the storm was too far away). The setting moon was at the edge of the clouds; it kept being swallowed up and re-appearing. A great display of nature (woulda been better by the Big Lake.)

Thunder will follow lightning. There are two theories on this. One suggests that the noise of thunder is produced by the splitting of air molecules(nitrogen and oxygen) into atoms,the release of energy is like an explosion from an atom bomb. The other idea is that when the air is heated to 60000 degrees the air expands quickly causing a huge push of sound waves.

Z-man, you're picture is awesome!

Storms in Ontonagon can be awesome! We sat on the beach on evening, watching a storm out over the lake, and everytime the ligtning would hit the water, it would rumble, then burp! It was the strangest sound we had ever heard! Never heard it before that or since...guess when the lightning hits the water, it causes air in the water like a water bubble, which in turn causes a big sound like a burp! Can't wait to go back up in July...yeah!

It's surprising how few sailboats get struck. I was always fearful of this when caught in a sudden thunderstorm with that fourty foot lightening rod on deck.

With ten thousand watercraft moored at Chicago's lake front, I've only heard of one craft being hit and frying the electronics. Still is an uneasy feeling, being miles from port.

We were off of Eagle Harbor in the Research Vessel Blue Heron when lightning struck the mast... fried the primary radio, but the secondary was alright. I have pictures of that day somewhere... think it was the first weekend of August, 2000.

More recently... storms have been rolling through down here like there's no tomorrow. Had another one last night that dropped 3.5" in town, not sure how much out where we live. Also thinking I may have heard a tornado... but can't be sure on that. They say it sounds like a freight train, which is kind of what I heard... But we also live 100 yards off the Union Pacific rail line. Only reason I'm thinking it wasn't a train is because I didn't hear the horn blow - usually I do.

Freaky!

I love watching lightening storms. Did you know that lightening actually comes up from the ground?

Yeah, Sur5er! Tho it seems weird to think of it that way- and scary!

Wonderful shot! WOWEEEE!

There is NO atomic bomb types of reactions going with lightning. Just to put some minds at rest. I mean come on where'd that come from. Ben is even older than Jules Vern. He wouldn't know that!

There are...

Great shot Z-Man!Having spent many years at Michigan Harbor Marina in Saint Clair Shores i often got to see lightning over Lake St.Clair, which many may not know is part of the Great Lakes connecting with the River between Lake Huron and Erie.I belive the odd's would rise on the water of being struck by lightning.But the odd's of winning the state Lottery is better.

Since no one else has mentioned it .. Sound travels a mile in about 5 seconds. You can tell how far away the storm is by doing a oneonethousand, twoonethousand ... after the flash. Say you get to 10 when you hear the thunder, the storm is about two miles away.
Also, if you're in an exposed position and can HEAR thunder, its time to start heading for cover. Lightning can strike about as far away from a storm as previous strokes can be heard.

Yes Dave in CA. i have heard that also.Many times i never got oneone out and boom it came!But i never was in a exposed position.Always had clothes on.

We had a lightening storm here in Houston a couple weekends ago and one strike lit the sky up and the bolt spread out like a firework display. It was awesome.

Ok I know this is a UP based group, but a friend of mine has been getting some spectacular sunset shots in Michigan City, Indiana.

I know how fond some of you are of lighthouses,
so I got his permission to put them online for you

see this album for some umbelieveable shots from
Kent Lange.

https://pasty.com/pcam/albup57

Just added info: Lightening goes both ways. Ground to air and air to ground; depending on where the highest electric potential.
You have a much better chance of being hit by lightening, than winning the lottery.

Watching tv the other day and on the news it was mentioned as a F.Y.I. men are three times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.

More men on the golf course?

Bob (and Kent Lang), I'm in Beverly Shores...just a stone throw west of Michigan City, IN. Yep, we do have some spectacular sunsets here on Lake Michigan. I've taken many a walk out to the lighthouse in Mich City.
Another great place in Michigan City for sunsets over Lake Michigan, is in the tower at the Michigan City Zoo, where you can actually get a view of the Michigan shoreline.
And, just west of Michigan City,(and east of Beverly Shores) on the shoreline is Mount Baldy...a high climb, but a beautiful place to sit and view the sunset over the lake.

sur5er

Know all about them, I spent my first 18 years in Michigan City.

Lot's of good memories on MT Baldy.

OK, how lightning forms:
During the buildup of large clouds, charged particles separate, creating a positively charged cloud top and a negatively charge cloud base. This charge separation is the result of water droplets and ice particles carried in updrafts colliding with downward moving ice particles or hail. (Electricity is built up by the collision and rubbing of these particles together. Basically this is the same effect as dragging your feet along a carpet and getting a shock when you touch a doorknob.)
The abundant negative charges at the base of the cloud induces a buildup of positive charges on the ground (especially in trees, tall buildings, radio towers, etc.) Eventually, the electrical resistance in the air cannot keep these opposite charges apart and lighting occurs. Lightning can move from cloud to ground, ground to cloud, or cloud to cloud.
The power of lighting flash heats the surrounding air to around 50,000 degrees Farenheit. This causes the air to expand at supersonic speed, producing thunder.

Have a gal friend who last year was struck by lightening in her own home. She survied, really bad burn on her arm. It seems that we are not safe during a storm no matter where your at.

Thanks Bob, for sharing the lighthouse pictures! Had to change my desk top! Great shots Kent!

John Dee and I are probably both drooling over this picture, being in the weather business! What a shot! It's beautiful. I love lightning shots, especially since they're so hard to get!

Have I ever given you all the Website for Skywarn, where I am the County Emergency Coordinator? You may find it interesting, if you really like weather!

www.gwinnettskywarn.com

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of fateful trip that started from this tropic port aboard a tiny ship..."


Fantastic sunset pictures by kent Lange!!!

Got to go!

Another old wives tale debunked: There is no such thing as "heat lightening". It's just lightening strikes too far away to hear the accompanying thunder and/or lightening obscured by clouds.

Alex, thanks for the web site. I live on the edge of Gwinnett in Dekalb (Dunwoody).

You haven't seen a good lightning storm until you see one over the Grand Canyon. That is some sight. I am orginally from the Copper Country and have been here at the Grand Canyon for 4 years. I loved the lightning storms up there and thought that nothing could beat them until I saw them over the canyon.

When I see this kind of weather, I just do a 180 and get the h gone....three things kill pilots.. thunderstorms, ice, and the dumb one who run out of gas.....Big cum clouds with anvils on the top are probably the worst, and to be avoided at all costs since they can top 50,000 feet, and we quit breathing a lot lower.........July 4 is coming

Is it lighting or lightening? Anyway does anyone know if cloud to ground ,or ground to cloud causes blue jets or red sprites ,a phenom that occurs in the upper atmosphere above thunderstorms. Anyway I sure wish a lighting bolt would fry the black flies this June , Just plain bugged.

Just plain bugged, I think it's 'lightning'. Lightening is sorta like unloading, as a ship. Lighting is your kitchen, or other lights.
You're welcome. :>)

Humdinger, Z-Man! Howdju dodat? How many tries before it was right? Those cranes must be working on the new bridge supports, 'eh?

At this moment the LIGHTNING is lighting up the sky here in the palm of the mitten.

What about ball lightning? I haven't ever seen it but some went through a room by my mom once.

Yohoo. Toivo wake up! It's Saturday ! Time to get the show on the road!

Ken, I would take a rough guess at around 100 shots to finally capure a good one. Yep the cranes are working on the new bridge. Should be done sometime next year.