It may seem like an impossible connection: lightning causes green grass. But this is no April Fool’s Joke!
Think back to 5th Grade for a moment. You probably remember hearing about the Water Cycle. You know, that’s where clouds produce rain, rain flows into creeks, streams, rivers, and oceans. The water evaporates from the oceans and forms clouds which produce rain.
There’s also a Nitrogen Cycle. And nitrogen is an essential to the growth of healthy plants. Here’s how it works: Plants can’t use the abundant nitrogen that is in the air since their roots dig deep into the ground, searching for moisture. Lightning is able to cause molecules of nitrogen to form compounds. These compounds fall to the ground and are able to soak in, thanks to rain. Plants then use the nitrogen to grow. Lightning is Mother Nature’s fertilizer!
The more thunderstorms we get in early April, the quicker it will turn green in the Upper Midwest. We have the Nitrogen Cycle to thank for that!
-Meteorologist Eric Sorensen
