Thundersnow is precisely what the title suggests – a snowy thunderstorm. However the winter model of a thunderstorm is way much less frequent than the spring and summer time thunderstorms most individuals are used to.
That’s as a result of the creation of thunder and lightning require vital quantities of atmospheric instability, which requires heat air. That is ample within the spring and summer time, however not as a lot throughout winter snow storms.
Thundersnow is a uncommon phenomenon seen solely within the strongest winter storms, equivalent to nor’easters, intense blizzards and bomb cyclones.
On Thursday night, this Twitter consumer heard the ever-elusive sound of thundersnow in Buffalo:
However the underlying mechanisms of thundersnow are the identical as different thunderstorms. They require a mix of moisture above the Earth’s floor, instability within the air, and a lifting mechanism, based on the Nationwide Environmental Satellite tv for pc Information and Info Service.
And the place there’s thunder, there’s in fact lightning – so whereas experiencing the surprise of thundersnow in particular person is likely to be attractive, it may be harmful. Staying inside your car or a constructing is the most secure method to keep away from lightning strikes whenever you hear thunder.
Lightning related to thundersnow storms is way much less frequent than in summertime storms, nonetheless, and is mostly the cloud-to-cloud selection, versus strikes that journey to the bottom.
After which there’s the sound. Thundersnow doesn’t have the identical “growth” you’d hear throughout common thunderstorms. The heavy snowfall muffles the sound of the thunder, making it sound extra like a low rumble than a loud, sharp bang.
