Death Valley displays many different types of weather phenomenon. Valley fog is a common type of fog (a cloud of water droplets that hangs near the Earth's surface) that occurs in Death Valley.
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| The low-lying cloud in the picture is an example of Valley Fog. Valley Fog occurs when the low-level moisture condenses and the colder air from the surrounding peaks pours down into the valley below, leaving an inversion layer of warm air above it. Photo credit: http://www.myjeeprocks.com |
Haboobs (or dust walls) often occur in desert-type regions such as Death Valley.
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| A Haboob like the one shown above is created by air from an approaching thunderstorm racing out ahead of the storm in a form and process called a gust front. Photo credit: http://www.kcet.org |
Dust devils are an interesting weather phenomenon involving a rapidly circulating column of air.
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| The dust devil can be seen left of center in the picture. Dust devils are created during periods of extreme surface heating, where hot air near the surface rises and hits cool lower pressure air above it, sometimes causing the air to rotate. Extreme suface heating occurs during a dust devil but the air fails to reach the LCL (Lifting Condensation Level). Photo credit: http://www.moonriverphotography.com |
Lightning is a dangerous but beautiful weather phenomenon that is usually (but not always) created by cumulonimbus clouds (a thunderstorm cloud).
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| Lightning (like the one shown in the center of the picture above) begins with an electrical spark in the atmosphere. Negative and positive charges attract; the electrical spark that begins in the atmosphere moves towards the ground and toward an opposite charge in the form of a step leader. When the negative and positive charge connect, a conductive path is created from the cloud to the ground below, creating a bright flash of lightning (the visible stroke). In the center of the picture above, the bright flash of lightning is an example of a visible stroke where the negative charge connected with a positive charge below. Some of the fainter lines in the picture are examples of the negative charge in the cloud not finding a connection below. These remain so-called "invisible" strokes. Photo credit: http://www.superstock.com |
There are many different forms of lightning. One such forms of lightning is spider lightning.
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| The lightning shown at top center is an excellent example of spider lightning. Spider lightning travels a horizontal path and can sometimes travel tremendously long distances as a result. Photo credit: http://www.teamliquid.net |
Good job on mentioning many of the phenomenon like lightning and dust devils from the climate. However, I believe to add more content, mabey you could have focused on the airmasses and what types of air masses may meet or collide over your location. Remember the mP, cP, mA, cA? Often this is the cause of things like your haboobs, lightning, etc.
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