Currently, lightning is not considered for special marine warnings. However, lightning on the open waters can be deadly to boaters.
Here is an example (from the Texas coastline) of 5 minute cloud-to-ground lightning from the ENI Total Lightning Grid density at 5 km resolution:
With the addition of this data set into AWIPS2, the special marine warning criteria could be modified to use the density of cloud-to-ground lighting. In the end, this will better meet the National Weather Service’s mission to protect life and property with regard to marine interests.
Polarimetric Researcher