I’m going to get a little meteorologic here for a minute, but I’ll keep it simple as that’s about the extent of my expertise on the subject. The height of summer brings thunderstorms, which build when warm, moist air is subjected to convective activity or rising air currents.
As the water vapor rises, it condenses into cumulonimbus clouds that can build and tower well into the troposphere, reaching altitudes of 30,000-60,000 feet and higher in extreme cases. That’s high enough to affect airline travel. These puffy-looking clouds, like cotton balls, indicate weather so damaging even aircraft give them a wide berth.
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