Single-cell thunderstorms are characterized as what?

Single-cell thunderstorms are typically classified as air mass thunderstorms. These thunderstorms develop in a uniform air mass, primarily driven by localized heating. They are characterized by their short lifespan, often lasting only one to two hours, and generally form in environments where there is little wind shear, meaning that the wind speed and direction remain relatively consistent with altitude.

Air mass thunderstorms usually occur in the afternoon or evening when the ground heats up, causing warm air to rise rapidly. This upward movement of warm, moist air can lead to the development of cumulonimbus clouds and eventually to thunderstorm activity. The result is usually a single thunderstorm cell with characteristics that include brief heavy rain, lightning, and sometimes hail, but rarely severe weather compared to more organized storm systems like supercell thunderstorms.

In contrast, supercell thunderstorms are more complex and long-lived, characterized by rotating updrafts, while frontal thunderstorms occur along weather fronts and multi-cell thunderstorms consist of multiple cells in various stages of development.