Climate Change in the Southeastern U.S. Could Mean Endless Severe Thunderstorms

Scientists who probe the atmosphere is search of tomorrow's weather have already picked up signs of major heat waves looming for American cities, particularly eastern 'burgs like Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.

Now NASA is giving us a heads-up that residents of yet more cities might soon face increased risks of getting frizzled by lightning or charley-horsed by walnut-sized hailstones. The space agency has released new weather models based on a 2007 study by Purdue University's Robert Trapp, who examined what might happen if the concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gas were to continue increasing until the end of the century. Trapp's evidence suggested that by the late 21st century the United States (and no doubt other places) will have many more days with ideal conditions for severe thunderstorms – you know, the ones with towering convective clouds and associated "high-impact weather such as destructive surface winds, hail and tornadoes."