During the life cycle of a thunderstorm, which stage is characterized predominately by downdrafts?

The stage characterized predominately by downdrafts in the life cycle of a thunderstorm is the dissipating stage. During this phase, the storm's energy source, typically warm and moist air, is largely exhausted. As the storm begins to dissipate, the balance shifts from the strong updrafts that define the mature stage to prominent downdrafts.

In the dissipating stage, the lack of warm, rising air leads to the decay of the thunderstorm, and the downdrafts can cause rainfall to taper off significantly. The cooling of the atmosphere results from the evaporation processes that occur as precipitation falls, which further strengthens the downdrafts.

In contrast, the cumulus stage is dominated by the development of updrafts as warm air rises and begins to condense into cloud droplets. The mature stage features a combination of strong updrafts and downdrafts, where both elements coexist and contribute to intense weather phenomena such as thunder and lightning. The embryonic stage does not exist in the typical terminology for thunderstorm development and is not a recognized phase in this context.

Thus, the dissipating stage is primarily associated with downdrafts, manifesting the decline of the storm’s intensity and contributing to its eventual end.