Can there be thunder and lightning during a snowstorm?

Answer 1

Yes. It generally only occurs in the strongest snowstorms and is a little more common in lake effect snow. It can only occur when there is large amounts of instability generating intense convection in the atmosphere. Heavy lake effect snow bands are known for thunder and lightning because lake effects snow owes its existence to the intense instability generated by air-water differences.

Answer 2

No, lightning is possible while it is snowing, although it is not very common. The reason lightning is not very common with snow is thunderstorms usually need warm moist air in the bottom of the storm and cold air at the very top. Most of the time if there is enough warmth and moisture to make a thunderstorm, it is too warm to snow at ground level.

Once in a great while during the strongest winter storms there is so much lift and very cold air in the upper parts of a storm that you get lightning/thunder while it is less cold on the ground, but still cold enough to get snow and not rain.

Another possible way to have "thundersnow" is sometimes an unfrozen body of water such as a lake or ocean can add enough moisture/warmth to very cold air near the ground to make "thundersnow" if the the air in the upper part of the storm is very very cold.

Answer 3

Absolutely! A snowstorm is just a cold thunderstorm. You can have lightning, thunder and very high winds.

Answer 4

Thunder and lightning during a snowstorm is rare but it can happen. It is typically called Thunder snow and happens near lake pressure systems and when warm and cold fronts mix in the winter.

Answer 5

There is such as thing as snow showers, and thundersnow, although rare, is also possible.

Answer 6

Well, snow is when the rain fall freezes before it hits the ground. So maybe that one time it snowed it was during a thunderstorm, hence the lightning.

Answer 7

Yes, this occurrence is sometimes called "thundersnow."

Answer 8

Yes it is called Thunder Snow.

Answer 9

yes!