The beginning of precipitation marks which stage of a thunderstorm?

The beginning of precipitation signifies the mature stage of a thunderstorm. During this stage, the storm has fully developed, and significant updrafts have been established, allowing for the growth of large raindrops, ice crystals, or hail. As these particles grow heavy enough, they begin to fall, marking the onset of precipitation. This is a critical phase of the thunderstorm, where the storm reaches its peak intensity, exhibiting strong winds, heavy rainfall, and possibly severe weather phenomena such as lightning and hail.

In contrast, during the developing stage, the storm is still forming, and precipitation has not yet begun. The dissipating stage follows the mature stage and is characterized by a decrease in precipitation and storm intensity. The initial stage is not a formal stage recognized in thunderstorm classification, as the development of storms is typically described as a three-stage process: developing, mature, and dissipating. Therefore, the mature stage is correctly associated with the start of precipitation in a thunderstorm's lifecycle.