Why are there no thunder/lightning when it's snowing?

Question

Does anyone know?

Answer 1

There are thunderstorms in winter. It's called thundersnow. It includes the typical thunderstorm behavior, but with snow falling as precipitation instead of rain. It usually happens during autumn and spring months when surface temperatures are fluctuating a lot (warm to cold, vice versa), and it's seen more often in the great lakes region during lake effect snow.

Lightning happens when sufficient negative and positive charges gather, and when the electric field becomes sufficiently strong, an electrical discharge (the bolt of lightning) occurs either within clouds, between clouds, or cloud to ground. Thunder is a shock wave caused by the rapid heating and expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. So that said, if there is a strong enough electrical charge in the atmosphere, we can see lightning and hear thunder even when it is snowing.

Answer 2

It is true, lightning is less common during snow compared to other kinds of precipitation, mainly because the air temperature is more uniformly cold. Lightning forms in warmer weather when a warm, moist air mass in the lower atmosphere has colder air above it, and the resulting upward drafts and turbulence separates into areas of positive and negative electrical charges. A lightning bolt is a violent discharge that equalizes these areas of different electrical charges, and the sudden heat from the lightning causes rapid expansion of the air, which results in a loud boom we recognize as thunder. In the winter such masses of warm air which cause thunderstorms are uncommon except during very powerful storms, most commonly near the ocean where the air moving inland is more warm and moist.

Answer 3

" thunder and lightning are caused by the friction created between a cold front and a warm front."

I think you need to learn a little meteorology. Thunder and lightning are produced by cumulonimbus cloud and these clouds are more common in summer than in winter so you are less likely to see lightning in winter. That being said, cumulonimbus clouds can occur at any time of the year on all continents including Antarctica and, if conditions are right, they will produce snow.

Answer 4

Actually, sometimes there IS thunder and lightning when it snows; it's just not as common. I've seen "thunder-snow" any number of times both here in Washington state, and in Colorado, where I used to live.

Answer 5

Thunder and lightning happens when electrons from the ground are carried up by warm dry air into the clouds. When the clouds become very negativley charged relative to the ground, they let out what we see as a flash of lightning.

To answer your question, the cold air near the earth isn't rising up to the clouds like warm air would, and therefore could not create the large negative charge in the clouds that would be needed for a lightning bolt.

Answer 6

The conditions generally needed for lightning-producing storms are low-level humidity, low-level air instability, and strong dynamic updrafts of air. These conditions are usually absent in winter. Thunderstorms that produce lightning are more common in the Spring where the air is warmer and dryer but unstable.

Answer 7

it was snowing rather hard a couple of weeks ago here in ohio and yes there was thunder.... no lightning but thunder

Answer 8

I've experienced "thundersnow" AND lightning when it snows. Check your facts.

Answer 9

Good question. I think that it must be because thunderstorms are created by conditions where warmer air is rising in an updraught. Snow is only in cold conditions. You can't get both conditions at the same time.

Answer 10

thunder and lightning are caused by the friction created between a cold front and a warm front.

when it's snowing, it's just plain cold. there's no warm front butting up against it.