Comment by hopelite

> The same electrical potential may still be present in the clouds, but instead of being neutralized dramatically it could now be dissipating slowly rather than gone in a flash

That was my initial thought, like a “phantom power” drain, the process by which electrons knock each other is able to happen in a broad manner, not concentrated in the poles and suddenly discharging among a single path, i.e., lightning.

It seems similar to how static electricity builds up easier in dry environments because in humid ones the electrons can more easily equalize across water molecules.