Thundersnow

Thundersnow

Thundersnow is an unusual kind of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain. It typically falls in regions of strong upward motion within the cold sector of an extratropical cyclone. A difference in temperature of 25 °C or more between the lake temperature and the temperature at about 1,500 m usually marks the onset of thunders now.

About Thundersnow in brief

Summary ThundersnowThundersnow is an unusual kind of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain. It typically falls in regions of strong upward motion within the cold sector of an extratropical cyclone. In addition to snow, graupel or hail may fall as well. The thunder from a typical thunderstorm can be heard many miles away, while the thunder from thundersnow can usually only be heard within a 2–3-mile radius from the lightning. Thundersnow occurs after a cold front or shortwave aloft passes over a body of water. A difference in temperature of 25 °C or more between the lake temperature and the temperature at about 1,500 m usually marks the onset of thunders now, if surface temperatures are expected to be below freezing.

The best location to find thundersNow is typically in its North-West quadrant within what is known as the TROWAL weather analysis, which shows a warm aloft trough of aloft air up to 3,000 m above the surface. The last component is the echo top or storm temperature, which must be at least 30°C. This allows for the interaction of the air and ice cloud to generate a storm charge, resulting in lightning and thunder.