Here's hoping for a busy storm season in 2016

[DarkSky]

We've already had a couple early-spring thunderstorms. Nothing severe as of yet.

Here's wishing to a good storm season, especially in my neck of the woods where we had some GREAT years all the way back to '98 when I pretty much started, and for about a decade straight. But the last handful of seasons have been rather dull.

Lets get lots of pics and videos posted this year fellas!

[Stormydude]

It was a good start with plenty of non severe hailstorms in Kitchener but things have been way slower lately. It's been warm enough but it only rains now. No lightning.

I'm also hoping for a good season since the last few have been half decent at best. But there have been quite a few notable days for me personally on years like 2007 (May 15, July 8), 2008 (July 22, 31), 2009 (August 20 of course), 2011 (June 4, and 6-8, August 24), 2013 (July 19), 2015 (August 2). 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011 were reasonably active years for storms overall, weak and strong. June 4 and 8 2011 had damaging windstorms, one in the morning and one overnight, and the 6 and 7 overnight storms had good lightning. Every year I hope is like 2011.

But yes, other years have been pretty bad, with nothing really terribly memorable. 2010 was...bad. 2012...not much better. 2014 was half decent. Nothing too special for Kitchener that I remember. It's funny that 2010 and 2011 were so contrasting being right next to each other. Was there an El Nino or La Nina during those years?

Back in the day of being a kid and scared of storms, I remember there being some incredible ones in Welland. One I swear had lightning that NEVER STOPPED and could rival the August 24, 2011 lightning. And the wind probably knocked down trees in the area too. Yeah, Niagara used to get good storms. That stopped as soon I started liking storms LOL.

[SlideShowBob]

Stormydude...agreed! Great summary.

I was scared of tornadoes when I was a kid in the 70's (showing my age...lol) All I had for information about storms was outdated..pre 60's black and white photos. I utilized my interest in AV to acquire filmstrips and film and other media about weather. Problem was, no other students wanted to even learn about it. The library cards on the weather books all had my printing...;-) Yet I think that extra knowledge was also a burden during bad storms...people were not as weather savvy as today.