Where does lightning strike most often in the U.S.?
In the middle latitudes, North America receives the most lightning due to its unique geography conducive to thunderstorms. Lightning detectors show an average of about 20 million cloud-to-ground flashes per year across the United States. Two U.S. regions are especially prone to strikes. Florida is the overall leader: its peninsular shape causes ocean-land heat contrast and air circulations that trigger storms year-round. The High Plains and foothills of the Rocky Mountains receive intense summer lightning due to elevated heating, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and their high altitude. (Even small clouds over the Rockies are cold enough to carry the ice crystals crucial to lightning formation).
