Detailed maps of "hot" provinces Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada

Lightning in Atlantic Canada

The most winter lightning in Canada occurs in an area south of Sable Island, in the Atlantic Ocean. Here, cold air moving down from the Arctic collides with warmer air rising from the Gulf Stream, creating ideal conditions for thunderstorms and lightning. (The map shows the number of days per year with lightning for both cloud-to-ground lightning and cloud-to-cloud lightning combined, average data from 1998 to 2002.)

Ontario

Ontario: Between Windsor and Sarnia, east of Lake St. Clair, where lake breezes converge, there is a large amount of lightning activity. A second hot spot is located along a line from the southern tip of Georgian Bay to southeast of Barrie. The two highland areas in southern Ontario, Algonquin Park and the Dundalk Highlands experience lightning much less frequently than the low land areas surrounding them.(The map shows the "flash density" -- the number of flashes per square kilometre per year -- for cloud-to-ground lightning and cloud-to-cloud lightning combined, average data from 1998 to 2002.)

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan: A large amount of lightning occurs in the hills near Estevan. This is an agricultural area, where frequent thunderstorms could lead to hail damage to crops. (The map shows the "flash density" -- the number of flashes per square kilometre per year -- for cloud-to-ground lightning and cloud-to-cloud lightning combined, average data from 1998 to 2002.)

askatchewan: A large amount of lightning occurs in the hills near Estevan. This is an agricultural area, where frequent thunderstorms could lead to hail damage to crops. (The map shows the "flash density" -- the number of flashes per square kilometre per year -- for cloud-to-ground lightning and cloud-to-cloud lightning combined, average data from 1998 to 2002.)

Alberta

Alberta: The foothills west of Edmonton on the east side of the Rockies are a "hot spot" for lightning. The region near Sundre was already known as "hailstorm alley", for the large number of thunderstorms that occur here. However, this area can now be extended north to include Edson and Brazeau. The region east of here is primarily an agricultural area, where thunderstorms with their accompanying lightning and hail, frequently damage crops. In southern Alberta, lightning can ignite grass fires, particularly during dry conditions. (The map shows the "flash density" -- the number of flashes per square kilometre per year -- for cloud-to-ground lightning and cloud-to-cloud lightning combined, average data from 1998 to 2002.

Manitoba

Manitoba: A lightning "hot spot" exists in the south west corner of the province near Melita Manitoba, that borders on Saskatchewan to the west and the United States to the south. Manitoba: A lightning "hot spot" exists in the south west corner of the province near Melita Manitoba, that borders on Saskatchewan to the west and the United States to the south.