How does a stormscope/strikefinder actually work?

Peter Duniho wrote:


A developing storm won't necessarily show rain either. Falling rain
occurs during the mature and dissipating stages of thunderstorm
development, and while water droplets may be present during the developing
stage (being lifted by the updraft), there may not necessarily be enough
to show up on radar as a significant storm.

This I didn't know.

I agree that his statement might have meant what you said, rather than
what
I thought it meant.

Frankly, I'm not sure how your interpretations of what I wrote are
different. I think you've both a pretty good grasp of my concern.

But I still don't see how it would imply 'spherics
devices are inferior for detecting thunderstorms.

I didn't write this. I'm trying to find out just how well they work as
avoidance tools, true, but that doesn't imply that I don't like the device.
I don't know enough yet.

Also, while I'm not
positive, if I recall correctly lightning is present in any thunderstorm
where turbulence and strong updrafts are present, regardless of the stage
of development.

From my reading - light yet, I admit - it sounded like lightening occurred
only after the developing stage is well along. It takes time for the
difference in potential to grow enough that discharges occur, as I've
understand what I read.

Did I misunderstand?

[...]

There are certainly "almost thunderstorms" that it's best to fly around.

No doubt...but I haven't seen anything that would suggest a Stormscope or
Strikefinder wouldn't identify those storms.

Wouldn't a strikefinder, by definition, not see a storm that wasn't yet a
thunderstorm?

I liked your idea, BTW, about trying the strikefinder experimentally. I was
up in poor-but-VFR conditions this weekend, and I was trying to do
something of that sort. Isolated t-storms were predicted, so it seemed a
good opportunity.

Unfortunately, the visibility was sufficiently poor and there were enough
clouds around that I couldn't really see much at a distance. There were
strikes showing, but I couldn't match them with anything visually.

Also, nothing was clustering. There were regions with indicated strikes,
but of no major density. If I had to guess, I'd say that my understanding
about the time it takes for discharges to occur is wrong, and this is a
demonstration of "near t-storms" appearing on the strikefinder. Alas, this
really is just a guess.

I've more reading to do, in the meantime.

- Andrew