Thundersnow, also known as a winter thunderstorm, happens when a snowstorm is accompanied by thunder and lightning. As of Monday (Jan. 6) morning, the phenomenon has been reported across much of ...

KidsPost When winter gets weird: Thundersnow, frost quakes and more An expert explains some of the stranger events caused by weather that happen in winter ...

Thundersnow is exactly what the name suggests – a snowy thunderstorm. But the winter version of a thunderstorm is far less frequent than the spring and summer thunderstorms most people are used to.

While the topic of thunderstorms is generally discussed in the summer months, the subject is not the soul purview of the hot side of the year.

Until recent decades, we didn’t know if the phenomenon was even real. Now scientists are peeling back why thunder and lightning can happen in a snowstorm.

Thundersnow occurs when this weather system occurs in the midst of a snowstorm. Why is thundersnow so rare? The conditions required to create thunderstorms rarely occur during the winter months.

Behind the Forecast: Thundersnow? Here’s what you need to know Listen to Science Behind the Forecast with Meteorologist Tawana Andrew every Friday on 89.3 WFPL at 7:45 a.m.

“Thundersnow events usually bring infrequent lightning flashes and quieter thunder as the heavy snowfall muffles the sound.” Even rarer is a phenomenon known as frost quakes, or cryoseisms.

Thundersnow occurs when this weather system occurs in the midst of a snowstorm. Why is thundersnow so rare? The conditions required to create thunderstorms rarely occur during the winter months.