Why are there less thunder and lightning during snow storms than regular rain storms?

Answer 1

usually too cold.
lightening requires hot and cold air running into each other and creating static.

Answer 2

There are usually three forms of thundersnow:

A normal thunderstorm on the leading edge of a cold front or warm front that either forms in a winter environment or one which runs into cool air and maintains the precipitation as snow.
A heavy synoptic snowstorm in the comma head of an extratropical cyclone that sustains strong vertical mixing which allows for favorable conditions for lightning and thunder to occur.
A lake effect or ocean effect thunderstorm which is produced by cold air passing over relatively warm water, this effect commonly produces snow squalls over the Great Lakes.

One unique aspect of thundersnow is that the snowfall acts as an acoustic suppressor of the thunder. The thunder from a typical thunderstorm can be heard many miles away, while the thunder from thundersnow can usually only be heard within a two to three kilometer radius from the lightning. In the United States, March is their peak month of formation, and on average, only three events are reported per year.

Thundersnow is a particularly rare meteorological phenomenon that includes the typical behavior of a thunderstorm, but with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain. It commonly falls in regions of strong upward motion within the cold sector of extratropical cyclones between autumn and spring when surface temperatures are most likely to be near or below freezing.

Answer 3

This is what I think...
In the winter the temperature gradient is smaller between the base of the cloud and the top of the cloud (since the temperature at the base is already very low). This creates weaker updrafts than in your typical summer thunderstorm (warmer air flows up because it is lighter than colder air). The updrafts in typical thunderstorms are what separate the charges within a cloud (a necessary condition to produce lightning). Since there are weaker updrafts in winter storms, in general there will not be as much charge separation and thus lightning is less likely to be generated.
Snow also acts as an acoustic damper to thunder, so you are less likely to hear thunder during the winter time.

Answer 4

This is a very good question. More sunshine produces more ionization for one.

I have never had formal college training in meteorology (or anything else. Had to learn everything the hard way, but learned a lot.

So, I can reasonably venture to say that we do not know sufficiently about the electrical dynamics of Earth's atmosphere, what a mainly medical person like me would call 'atmospheric physiology' as opposed to 'atmospheric anatomy' where we can find much on the internet and in books.

With regular thunderstorms there is much more high atmospheric turbulence. Hot and cold air masses are mixing. Hot air is very energetic, usually vapor laden, and provides a better conductive path when rising to great heights in high, typically Springtime turbulence.

The greater winds and frictions during spring and fall produce more ionization and pick up lots of dust and pollen particles from earth's surface, even plant gases and chemicals, some salt ions from sea and so on.

All of the storm turbulence takes place closer to ionized layers than a typical winter storm. Smoke and other atmospheric impurities tend to have positive charge. That is why your Air Purifier puts out negative ions -- to neutralize and precipitate them. After-storm air is also cleaner.

Moving air masses always have some charge. Tesla did much experimentation with this, most results of his work not available to us ordinary people.

I suspect the U.S. government knows a lot more that is being kept secret. I learned some electronics, but it was like getting teeth out of a hen when I was growing up before the computer age.

I would certainly like to know more in this area, including the electrical physiology at various latitudes, during hurricanes, between the various layers, etc. etc.

I do explore the topic whenever any relevant info presents

Try googling 'transient luminous events' 'upper atmospheric lightning' 'atmospheric charges' and stuff like that to pin this down more.

There is less hot air during the winter. But we do indeed hear occasional thundery rumbles in Michigan during some snowstorms.

Hope someone who knows more answers, electricity a big topic with me.

You may also want to google the 'HAARP Project'

Such a shame so much knowledge is kept hidden. Even worse in other countries.....

And they are so schizoid about education. Both demanding it and loathe to offer it to everyone who wants it.

Color me generous, but not omnisceint.

Keep digging though, I guarantee you it is worth your effort!

Satisfaction speaking....

Answer 5

because the temperature is usually more stable in the winter during snow storms. In the warmer weather there are bigger temperature swings that cause the instablilty.

Answer 6

The snow keeps getting in the way and makes it hard for the lighting and thunder to get through...

Answer 7

well one reason is becuase electric is more evolved at water then by ice. two is because in order for it too snow the weather has too heat up a little, lightning dosint need that.
so really lighting comes more in water then ice...

Answer 8

Well, lightning is a highly visible form of energy transfer. Energy creates heat, and you need enough heat to create lightning.