How is it possible for it the snow, thunder and lightning all at the same time?

Question

Because that is what happened in upstate ny. Can anyone please explain how this is possible.

Answer 1

Actually it was Buffalo (western NY) that got hit, as I have family there.

This storm is not as usual (rarely more than a few times a year), but does happen, and is sometimes called 'Thundersnow'. This usually happens when winter storms with substantial warm and humid air sectors spawn thunderstorms along their fronts, or when air crosses a large lake or rises over a mountain range.

One reason you don't usually see lightning with a snow storm is the snow can absorb and diffuse the lightning strokes (unlike rain storms). Also, just in practical terms, snow storms, being colder, usually mean less people are going to be out to witness them.

Answer 2

Whether it rains or snows, thunder and lightning are possible.

During a storm with rain, it would be warm, relative to a storm with snow, for instance. Warmer temperatures attract more instability, due to the dynamics of the atmosphere and all scientific hooey you don't need to know. But even at cold temperatures, if the atmosphere can get unstable enough, like it did yesterday, you get what's commonly called "thundersnow" and it's one of those unofficial weather terms. Sometimes it occurs in large snowstorms, nor'easters, and blizzards. It also was widely known to occur around New York City during the Blizzard of '06 back in February.

Answer 3

It's possible and cool to experience one. The atmosphere on our level could be colder than the upper levers. In the upper levels the air is warm. Static builds up. Lightning and thunder occurs up in the clouds. That will explain for the winds since there is a great difference in warm air and cold air ...that causes the wind ...that caused the blizzards ...that causes the snow ...that you are getting, because of the cold air, ...that causes the lightning and thunder ...that causes your freakest weather.

Answer 4

Lightning is just an electrostatic discharge between positive and negative ions. This can happen at any time. If circumstances are right in the atmosphere it can even happen during snow storms. My theory on why it happens less frequently with snow is that the general cool nature of snow storms don't produce the violent atmospheric activity that happens when warm air and cool air collide to produce thunderstorms. I don't think it's my theory actually, I think that's how I learned it in college.

Answer 5

it has to do with warm and cold fronts doesnt it Im not sure, all I can say is that I live in Buffalo area and it was bizarre, nasty thunder storms all while dropping 2 feet of really heavy wet snow, over 300,000 people without power and they are expected most to still be in the dark for another week... its awful here, although some stores and things are open now, but we are all cleaning up trees, and there are power lines, phone lines and cable lines down everywhere, it was weird shoveling 2 ft of snow in early Oct, we have never seen this, maybe a dusting, but never like this.... its incredible, and we all have cabin fever already

Answer 6

There is lightning then thunder in a rainstorm. All a snow storm is, is a rainstorm in freezing weather. The raindrops just froze and grew into snow crystals/flakes on the way to the ground.

Answer 7

Yes, but it is rare because you need a convective enviroment that will rapidly lift a relatively moist air mass upwards plus cold air at the low levels of the atmosphere for snowfall.

Question is how do you get enviroment...
-that will support strong lift for convective precipitation,
-with moist and below freezing airmass that will be deep enough to reach the base of the precipitating cloud so that snow and not sleet or hail or freezing rain would fall
-and a deep instability someware aloft for thunderstorm?

This is what might of occur to get thunder, lightning, and locally moderate to heavy convective snowfall. In this case, I think you will need conditions that support to lake effect snow nearby with very cold shallow dry air mass behind a fast moving cold front.

Above the low layer or shallow cold air mass is a deep unstable relatively warm air mass. You will likely need strong low level wind that will move cold air over a long fetch of well above freezing lake water. Finally a slope terrain that will add additional lift support.

Moisture from evaporation of lake water will add moisture to the drier cold low layer. As this layer becomes more moist in this lower layer, snow will start to fall. When the strong low level winds reach the coast, it rapidly slow down due to higher friction of the ground surface and hills near the coast. This piles the air and forces it upward. This will form the base of the main convection. With the help of orographic lift (air forced upward due to hills or mountains), this cold air breaks through and into the relatively warm and moist enviroment. Dynamic forcing above the cold lower layer combined with orographic lifting will continue to lift this cold airmass upward rapidly. The base of the precipitation will remain in the shallow cold air so it will continue to fall as snow. Above the lower layer airmass, you will have your deep convective enviroment that is supported by a steeper lapse rate enviroment of a surrounding larger scale enviroment. Add in the support of orographic lift. This will produce an area that will support an enviroment for higher based thunderstorm above the snow producing lower based cloud deck.

Answer 8

I didn't hear of this. I suppose its possible thought-I just dont know how. If it was snowing and then a warm front came in from the south, I suppose it could snow, thunuder, and lightning all at the same time.

Answer 9

Yes.It did in Buffalo when there was 2 feet of snow
on October 12-13.

Answer 10

well I'll explain one thing... thunder comes from lightning, so that should solve that brain-buster for you... and what's the difference between rain and snow?... temperature... so really not much!