Snow and Lightning

[Bluethroatedone]

So...looking out my window to whiteout conditions...Its snowing but there's also lightning/thunder....

I'm not sure I have ever seen lightning during a snow storm? Anyone have experience with this? Does this happen in the mountains too? Any special recommendations as to what to do if you are caught in one of these in the mountains?

 

[pilgrim]

Only once have I experienced that, during my first winter in Syracuse (where it snows all the time), a long time ago. Disbelief gave way to amazement during this intense and interesting event.

 

[grouseking]

So...looking out my window to whiteout conditions...Its snowing but there's also lightning/thunder....

I'm not sure I have ever seen lightning during a snow storm? Anyone have experience with this? Does this happen in the mountains too? Any special recommendations as to what to do if you are caught in one of these in the mountains?

Just last March there was a significant blizzard with 40+ mph winds with lightning and thunder everywhere. Its rare, but not so uncommon in New England. The storm that is strengthening now has been deepening rapidly (pressure is dropping very fast, in turn the storm is getting very strong in a short period of time) and this is called either cyclogenesis or bombogenesis. At the same time the storm is cranking out and will be out of here by 5pm at the latest. When a storm deepens this rapidly it can develop convective bands of very heavy snow with lightning and thunder. Thundersnow is accompanied by snow falling at 2-4 + inches per hour, which is what is happening today. At 1pm, we had 8.5 inches and by 230, we had 13.5 inches!!

As for the mountains, this thundersnow can happen anywhere, but I think it tends to occur closest to the actual low pressure. Most of it is cloud to cloud lightning, meaning that the chances of being struck are very low, but as we heard today of that plane getting struck by lighting while taking off from Logan Airport, it is possible for there to be cloud to ground lightning. So in the end, (not an expert opinion at all) I would have to say that the best chance for thundersnow is closest to where the storm track is, which many times in noreasters is well south of the White Mtns. I wouldnt worry about it too much in the mountains, but if it were to happen, I suppose you would take the same precautions as one would take in the summer. Also, the frequency of the lightning is much less in these than during a summer thunderstorm. I just seems like the world is going to end because you normally don't associate lightning and thunder with snow.

Hope that made a little sense....

and am awaiting a more scientific explanation!

grouseking

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Several times. I have never actually seen the lightning but I have heard thunder several times. Of course, there has to be lightning to have thunder. It's rare, but it definitely happens.

Keith

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I experience it once every year or two. I SEE the lightning less frequently. I suspect that it is more frequent than many realize, since the snow muffles the sound of the thunder, and blocks the light from the lightning.

 

[poison ivy]

Google thundersnow and you'll be able to learn more about the phenomenon. I guess it's somewhat rare around here. It was thundering here in SE Mass about two hours ago.

- Ivy

 

[darren]

I've seen it many times.

Crazy storm down here on the South Coast right now. Temp was in the 40's with heavy rain and then the temp dropped below freezing in NO time, the rain turned to snow, and the wind went wild. The wind meter on the pier says 50 mph sustained and gusts up to 84 mph. Trees coming down, the roof is lifting off the next building over, and cement blocks are blowing off the roof of my building and smashing into cars in the parking lot. Intense!

- darren

 

[slamdog]

current forecast in Oswego NY

I live just north of Syracuse, and todays forecast for the Oswego area was exactly that, thunder and lightning. Never seen it before but sounds impressive. L

 

[jbrown]

Holy crap, Darren. Stay safe!

I've seen lightning in snow storms only a couple of times here in Syracuse, and it was when I was much younger. I think the last time was probably the big storm in '94 which dumped about 3' of snow on us.

 

[Mike P.]

Seen it a few times, but not out hiking. I think also like today you have a quick strong system on a frontal boundary with cold AIr pressure filling in behind it. This would be similarto T-storms in Spring. (Summer too but when you have cold & warm air on each side Vs. hot & less warm air it's less dramatic. Today was cool Vs. cold, forcast tomorrow around here is 34 & dry)

Did not see anything from the glass building I'm in Hartford but it went from near blizzard conditions & accumulating snow to a vary clear sky with some random instability clouds quickly.

 

[blacknblue]

Thundersnow seems to be more common in mountainous areas. I've encountered it in the Rockies before at high elevations. It's definitely a weird juxtaposition, but not entirely uncommon. Occasionally, with a very strong cold front (esp. in autumn), we get thundersnow down here on the Front Range of Colorado.

 

[Ed Poyer]

Thundersnow in RI

We had a couple of cracks here in central RI today, during heavy snow.

Several years ago, my group did an abrupt about face just short of Kinsman junction with lightning & thunder in Feb. After a brief, intense shower, the temps dropped, rain turned to sleet then snow, & everything in sight turned to ice. All in a matter of 30 minutes or so... Tents were frozen solid in the AM. It went from sunny & 58 at the trailhead in the AM to just about zero by the time we turned in.

Ed

 

[SAR-EMT40]

The wind meter on the pier says 50 mph sustained and gusts up to 84 mph.- darren

Hope you had the sense to put the sail out on your kayak.

Keith

 

[Jeff-B]

Wild Thunderstorm on Cape

Well, I finally got my power restored today after a cold night.
Yesterday I had one hell of a commute home from Hyannis to Brewster, normally 18 miles, took me 2+ hours through total white out blizzard conditions, and LIGHTNING striking trees, antennas, lighting fires, ect.
CRRRAAAACKKK!.....the real scary kind when you KNOW it just struck nearby.
As if that was not enough, the wind was tearing the place apart!
Gusts to 90 in some locations!
The entire region was traffic gridlocked as everyone left during the height of the storm due to the power outage.

I had to reroute for miles around many huge trees which closed roads, all the time watching and listening each ripping gust taking down debris in my path!
They did not have time to sand the roads, but the shredded tree debris gave enough traction!
It was hell, but about 1-1/2 hours later, the sky totally cleared.

Today I went for some errands around Orleans which was heavily damaged, and saw at least 100 large trees down, ripped from the roots!
I saw many damaged homes, electrical power lines down everywhere...it was like a hurricane had hit!

I chain sawed one large oak down from my property, but the neighbor's 100ft pine down accross my fence is going to take some effort to remove. Luckily that tree missed my boat by mere inches!

I am fortunate now, as still over 100 thousand homes on Cape are still without power!
We got WORKED!

but then again...I love weather

Jeff

 

[Undershaft]

Friday was only the second time I can recall experiencing thundersnow. It was pretty wild at work here in Plymouth. I'm right on the water; we had blue skies at 2:45pm and total whiteout by 3:20pm with very heavy winds. We were fortunate, the Cape got hit much harder. No trees down at my new place in Wareham though. I have to agree with Jeff-B, I love weather. Nothing is more fascinating/humbling than a wild storm on the coast at any time of year!

 

[Umsaskis]

I experienced a massive thunderstorm, that included some mixed precipitation although it was mostly dry, in April several years ago. With still 3 feet of snow atop the Kinsmans, we realized we were basically walking on water, although I don't know how well snow conducts electricity compared to liquid water. We made 2 attempts to get beyond the Kinsman Pond shelter up to the summit, and after the second try, when a really close strike made me run faster than I ever thought possible in post-holed snow back to the shelter, we gave up.