climates-of-north-america

Climates of North America

what-makes-weather-happen

What Makes Weather Happen

the-atmosphere

The Atmosphere

pressure-temperature-and-wind-relationship

Pressure, Temperature, and Wind Relationship

How Weather Works

cloud-types-and-heights

Cloud Types and Heights

what-to-observe

What to Observe

Cloud Watching

pressure-systems

Pressure Systems

fronts

Fronts

Storm Systems

lightning

Lightning

additional-weather-hazards

Additional Weather Hazards

Identifying Weather Hazards

go-prepared

Go Prepared

real-world-scenarios

Real-World Scenarios

Forecasting in the Field

It’s good to think of air as “flowing” much like the water in a river. One of the most important air flows to think about is how the air is moving vertically. This is called atmospheric lift, and it drives all weather activity. When air is lifted, we get clouds, thunderstorms, and precipitation. But air doesn’t lift itself, and we’ll get into that in the coming pages. The process of lift is what creates weather, and there are a variety of ways lift happens and presents itself in the atmosphere. <img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3775" src="https://live-pom-oed.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/works-1.jpg" alt="Graphic showing the cloud formation process" width="1200" height="872" srcset="https://live-pom-oed.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/works-1.jpg 1200w, https://live-pom-oed.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/works-1-300x218.jpg 300w, https://live-pom-oed.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/works-1-1024x744.jpg 1024w, https://live-pom-oed.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/works-1-768x558.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"> <h2>4 Processes That Drive Lift</h2> Remember, the term “lift” just refers to rising air, and it&#8217;s the...