"O. Sami Saydjari" wrote:

Thunderstorm season is up us. I get a little concerned when I see
towering cumulus clouds forming in my flight path because I know that
towering cumulus clouds can turn into thunderstorms.

You are wise to be concerned.

1. Assuming that thunderstorms were not predicted for the area, is my
concern unjustified?

2. Do most towering cumulus clouds not mature into thunderstorms?

Whether a TCU turns into a CB depends on how unstable the atmosphere is and
how much moisture is available. Sometimes the weather guys get it right,
sometimes they don't, but I figure they've got a better chance of getting
it right than I do.

3. Wouldn't large towering cumulus clouds have chartacteristics similar
to thunderstorms (severe turbulence, possible hail, heavy rain, icing)
even if they don't end up becoming an official thunderstorm (lightning
present).

You will certainly find turbulence in TCU, and if you're above the freezing
level, you'll find icing too. I only fly normally aspirated hardware, so I
can't climb high enough to reach the freezing level in the summer. You're
flying a turbo, however, so you might be able to.

Until it turns into a CB, there shouldn't be rain, hail, or lightning.
Flying into a CB is a really bad idea.

In general, I try to avoid flying into TCU. Even around busy airspace like
New York, I find controllers are usually quite accommodating about "request
20 degrees left for weather".