Home 
RESOURCES AND EDUCATION Safety and Weather
RESOURCES AND EDUCATION Safety and Weather
Lightning Safety Guidelines
The information on this page has been compiled from resources from the National Lightning Safety Institute and the
National
Outdoor
Leadership
School's"Lightning Safety" publication.
How Does Lightning Strike?
How Does Lightning Strike?
Lightning strikes fast. The whole process usually takes a few milliseconds. Stepped leaders of electric current leave a cumulonimbus cloud and some leaders move toward the ground. They appear as many branches, but only 1-2 branches will reach the ground. Approximately every 50 meters a new step leaves each leader and heads in a fairly random direction. If a leader gets 100m from the ground, positively charged streamers start rising from the closest grounded objects towards the negatively charged leader. As soon as the leader is close enough to a streamer, it shoots directly to that streamer and blazes a trail for a significant charge (a return stroke) to shoot from the ground to the cloud. learn more...
Click here to download the new 2010 Dillon Ranger District Recreation Guide and learn more about how you can stay safe in your National Forest!