Ever had one? - Elevated morning thunderstorms

It's currently storming in the Midwest. These thunderstorms are known as elevated thunderstorms, tapping into heat a little higher in the atmosphere than at the cooler surface.

Thunderstorms are most common in the afternoon and evening hours, thanks to the heat and humidity building all day at the surface, but they can happen in the morning if the conditions are conducive, even just above our heads, known as elevated thunderstorms.

Instability is the first and main ingredient needed, and this comes with a warm, water-laden air mass that rises. However, if you're looking at the TemperatureRadar and seeing those temperatures in the 50s and 60s in the Midwest, you're probably wondering why that could cause thunderstorms since these are not warm temperatures.

A little higher in the atmosphere, we have what is called an inversion, where the temperature is much warmer than those at the surface. In fact, this morning's inversion shows temperatures are nearly 15 to 20 degrees warmer above the surface! There is our warmth.

A temperature inversion is very common but does not always cause thunderstorms, so we need a lifting mechanism. This morning, a low-pressure trough is skirting east out of the Plains, causing that lift. Thus, we have our elevated thunderstorms!