A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.
Lightning is a fast discharge of electrical energy, accompanied by a flash of light, within a cloud or between a cloud and the ground or another surface.
Blizzards are severe snowstorms that sustain winds of at least 35 miles per hour, last for a period of time greater than three hours, and prevent visibility of more than a quarter mile.
Hurricanes are very large cyclones of rotating air that sustain winds of at least 74 miles per hour and can spawn thunderstorms, tornadoes, storm surge, and flash floods.