Lightning during snow storm (not rain storm), what is going on? global warming, end of world, what?
825004
Probably just the weather changing quickly ? We had a thunderstorm a few weeks ago, except it was snowing with it. Really warm before it and really cold afterwards... I'm sure it's nothing to alarm yourself over.
503525
Lightning is formed by the convective processes that occur in a thunderstorm.  You'll have the warm, moist suface layer of air with the cold, dry layer of air aloft.  The natural balance of the atmosphere makes the warm air want to rise.  This gives strong updrafts of air can help create charge differences (warm humid surface air rises and cools, condenses into waterdroplets which have different charge the ice crystals in the upper atmosphere) which can cause lightning.\n\nIn a snowstorm (or winter in general) the surface layer is cold with low dewpoints (dry), so you generally won't find these updrafts and convection found in summer thunderstorms to create lightning.\n\nHowever sometimes the conditions can bring enough warmer air, moisture and instability to cause lightning and thunder.  Check out the link provided for more in depth details.\n\nThe thunder from thundersnow is not heard at very large distances, which makes it seem even rarer.  Snow absorbs a lot of the sound, so it will only be heard about a mile or two away.
923031
very, i lost everything in my computer once because of lightning. if you're sure to unplug your computer whenever theres a storm coming, you should be alright
785117
an Electrical storm involves lightning.\nAnd lightning can travel at the speed of light.\nBecause it mostly is light.\n\nThunder is slower and goes at the speed of sound so we hear the thunder later.
1148847
No.\n\nThe electric charge that causes lightning on the Earth, Jupiter and Saturn is built up in the atmosphere from the solar radiation that hits the atmosphere.\n\nThough the solar particles have an electric charge, without a dense atmosphere, acting as a capacitor to allow the building up of large charges, you don't get lightning bolts. A lightening bolt requires a million volts per meter. \n\nIndividual solar particles interact with other particles but the discharge is of the magnitude of a few electrons worth of charge.  The elves and aurora are caused by solar particles striking the upper atmosphere. But the eleves and aurora are not lightning bolts.   \n\nWithout a dense enough atmosphere there can be no lightning. \n\nThe moon does have a tenuous atmosphere but it is not dense enough to act as a capacitor. \n\nTycho crater was formed from more than one meteorite impact. There was the main impact and then smaller impacts on the big scar.\n\nThe youngest crater is Giordano Bruno and you can see that it has not been overlaid with other impacts.
170380
Not a common occurrence, but it certainly does happen...as it did this morning here.  Typically precipitating clouds in the winter are much less developed than summer thunderstorms, but occasionally more developed storm clouds do occur in winter and generate lightning (and thunder) just as they do in summer.  Expect a short and intense snowfall when it happens.
150999
To quote my source page:\n\n============================================================\nIs lightning ever seen during a snow storm? \n\n\n (100%, 2 ratings) submitted by Alatea (A, 93%, 2508 ratings), Oct 11, 05 \n\n(Answer last edited on Jan 28, 06)\nThe answer to the question of whether or not there can be thunder and lightning during a snowstorm is this. It is possible but it is quite rare. Here's why. \n\nA thunderstorm depends on rapidly rising moist warm air to produce the effects we see. These effects are, large volumes of rain in a short period of time, strongly gusting winds, hail, and of course lightning. When conditions aren't right (surface air is too cool and dry) it is impossible for air at the surface to rise fast and high enough to create a thunderstorm cell. Basically in winter the air is not warm or moist enough to produce thunderstorm cells.\n\nhttp://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec96/844703853.Es.r.html\n============================================================
24509
Partly.\nThe increasing emission of Green House gases in causing Global warming which is making the world's climate go topsy-turvy\n\nNow you have Summer heat waves in Europe, Snow fall in Dubai, the killer Hurricanes\n\nPerhaps it is time for Mankind to step back and think as to why these are happening\n\nBut I should state that Earth Quakes are not quite related to this effect (but then again, you would never know)
569138
interesting question! \n\nim originally from arizona where they have freak monsoon storms. they say in you car, away from the tv and windows. otherwise, i doesnt matter. if the lightning hits a tree and the tree hits the house... u r screwed regaurdless!!
497622
It doesn't just happen all of a sudden, as OBIWAUGH pointed out, the movement of air caused by the storm causes the clouds to acquire a polarized electrical charge that by nature has to release its energy.\nThat energy is the lightning bolt reaching out to an oppositely charged object to balance the energy.
318560
For this we have to check the basics of Lightning or a spark. \nLightning is caused due to the difference of static charge between two layers of energy. Our eco-system is composed of layaers of energy always in motion. Air breaks down at 10,000 volts per inch, considering the humidity in the atmosphere. When the charge on the clouds, produced due to friction, exceeds the sparking voltage, a lightning is produced. When a spark is produced, it is like a mad blind dog, searching the easiest path fast. The spark may be caused between two clouds, between the cloud and the Earth, or the cloud or any object in the space. Most of the lightnings are lost in space as the volts per inch for a spark decreases with pressure, being the minimum for free space(Vacuum). Some are also lost amongst the clouds.\nNow let us see what happens to a spark between a cloud and the earth. It is a must for a spark to terminate at the ground, the earth being neutral and a huge resource of electrons. Nothing else has the capacity to provide such magnitude of electrons. Now, in its path, the spark tries to travel the path with least resistance. It is also worth noting that a spark is also associated with production of heat.\nEven though wood is a bad conductor, live green trees with water contents, and rising high in the air were good target for the lightnings. They would burn it and split it while passing through. Now it has better baits - the towers and high rising buildings. A high rise produces a area of lightning shadow around its base. The higher the building, the bigger the area. All the lightnings for that area is absorbed by that building. It is likely that the building will have lightning catchers, which passes them directly to the Earth without letting it do much damage.\nIn cities, it is almost impossible of being thunderstruck.\n\nLet us check the case of rural areas.\nThe danger is when a lightning is produced in wide open space. It has a peculiar tendency to bend. Sometimes, it is amazingly seen to run parallel to the ground. This is caused due to a dry crust or upper coating of the Earth. It acts as an insulator. The lightning bends and tries to find the nearest path to enter the Earth. This might cause hazards. People working in fields; sometimes animals are killed. So, here is the maximum chance of being thunderstruck.\nThe damages caused by a spark varies with the amount of charge still present and the heat already produced. A spark continuously loses its charge content into the surrounding system. Also, it continuously gets warmer as it travels, depending on the system temperature. When, a spark(charge) passes through you, the electrons tend to disrupt your nervous system traffic and the heat burns your tissue. For household voltages, which is 110 volts in countries like USA and 230 volts in countries like India, we feel jolts and cramps in our muscles, which either results in instantaneous withdrawal of the contact part or inability in doing so. The later is surely serious. Now you can compare the effects of a lightning. You will be lucky if the lightning loses most of its charge.\n\nBEST OF YOUR LUCK!
1083933
That kind of lightning are usually called  cloud to clud lightning, and  occurs  at very high altitudes between clouds at different altitudes (1,000 ft,).  there's no thunder because  the charges are  not  making ground like when they touch  earth.
341077
I believe they are refering to sheet lightning that never touches the ground. In the tropics it can be extremely brilliant lighting up the sky like a neon glow.
218291
Lightning can heat nearby air up to even 10 times the temperature of the Sun's surface. Actually, the Sun's surface isn't so hot — some welding torches are hotter. ( The Sun's center, though, is 2500 times hotter: 15 million degrees Kelvin compared with 6 thousand degrees.)\n\nIt isn't the Sun's temperature, however, that accounts for the heat we feel on Earth. Rather, it's her size. The Sun has a surface area a hundred million billion times the surface area of a typical lightning bolt. We receive only 1 billionth of the Sun's energy. Even so, Earth gets much more energy from the Sun than from a lightning bolt over the same time period — a hundred million times more energy. \n\nOf course, close to the lightning strike, we can get blazing hot. Lightning striking a tree can set it afire. The distance to the target, however, must be small for us to feel the heat because lightning's radiant energy pales compared with the Sun
157711
It is Global Warming.  Geologically speaking we are still coming out of the last ice age.  We are on in a natural cycle which has been accerated by pollution.
493119
Right now, it's after 11 pm on Monday night. It's raining and it's 65 degrees. They're calling for thundershowers tonight & tomorrow. It's been a weird spring here, going from the low 30's at night to over 70 degrees in the daytime. Later on this week, they're calling for snow flurries in the northern part of my state (Wisconsin). How's that? <*)))><
859112
I do agree,they claim el nino is responsible,some claim global warming. The semi cold weather with wet,cloudy days is depressing not to mention it brings on aches and pains......Illness The cold snowy days seem to bring excitement, to cold for the germs. My personal theory is the whole Earth has shifted orbit just enough to mess the weather up. Scientifically I would go with global warming or the green house effect. We have used and released so much freon or R-12 into the atmosphere, plus other pollutants its really damaged are enviorment all for comfort. Maybe we should go back to horse and buggies..lol