Michigan dropped 8 spots in the ranking of total lightning by state in 2022
(CBS DETROIT) - Michiganders are no strangers to thunderstorms.
With temperatures that can approach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun.
Every year, the company Vaisala, which runs the National Lightning Detection Network, publishes a report showcasing the total lightning, lightning density, state rankings, and other data.
Lightning is one of the most fascinating and dangerous forms our weather can take.
Vaisala measures lightning in terms of strike count and also strike density.
While a state could rank higher for lightning density, it could rank lower on the list in terms of total strike count.
The lightning count is the total count for the number of lightning events that occur in a given time.
We use the phrase lightning events instead of lightning strikes because not all lightning strikes the ground, like cloud-to-cloud flashes, for example.
Lightning density measures the number of lightning events over a certain area.
Vaisala calculates this by taking the lightning count and dividing it by the area of the region being measured.
In 2022, there were 2,070,540 lightning events measured in the state of Michigan.
This total count leaves us at a rank of 29th out of the 51 locations, that would be the 50 states plus Washington D.C.
This ranking is eight spots lower on the list when compared to 2021.
Texas took the top spot with a total of 27,696,688 lightning events, while Rhode Island and Washington D.C. took the bottom spots with totals of 10,916 and 7,206 lightning events, respectively.
In Michigan, the location with the most lightning density, or what Vaisala calls the "State Lightning Capital," was the Village of Rosebush in Isabella County.
Southeast Michigan saw fewer lightning events in 2022 compared to 2021.
Click here to see the entire 2022 Annual Lightning Report.
Remember, lightning is extremely dangerous to anyone outdoors during a thunderstorm or lightning-creating event.
If you see lightning or hear thunder, you should head indoors immediately.
For full lightning information and safety tips, you can visit the National Weather Service safety page by clicking here.
