WEST MICHIGAN — Thunderstorms are a part of every spring and summer in West Michigan.
Thunderstorms are most prevalent in the spring because warmer air masses begin to move into areas with cooler air masses. The mixing of these air masses is the main concept for the initiation of thunderstorms!
Meteorologist Reece Cole visited with Mrs. Boyle's 3rd-grade class at Martin Public Schools to visualize what happens in the atmosphere when these two air masses collide. All you need is a clear plastic bucket full of lukewarm water, red dye, and ice cubes with blue dye in the cubes.
Starting with the ice cubes and water separate, add a generous amount of red dye to one side of the lukewarm water.
Then, on the opposite side, drop the ice cubes with blue dye.
Warm air rises and cooler air sinks, but this is represented the same way in the water. The blue dye from the melting ice cubes will sink, while the lukewarm water with red dye tends to rise.
When the two dyes eventually collide, the blue will push the red dye above it, while the blue dye remains near the bottom of the bucket. The area of collision with have some mixing, which turns purple, and represents the center of instability where a thunderstorm would occur.