Snow lightning

[birdieman]

New phenomenon for me, been happening yesterday and today, regular lightning flashes when it's snowing hard. Can't hear any thunder as the snow suppresses it.
Don't know the science behind it, I thought ligntning happened in heat, anyone brainy care to explain?

 

[Whereditgo]

No idea as to the how, but we were out walking yesterday, Newcastle way on and experienced exactly the same phenomonom.

Didn't realise what the flashes were at first as I've never seen lightning during snow storms, but then we could actually hear the thunder rumbling around us!

 

[EaseNgrace]

Are you near the coast or a large body of water? As far as i'm aware it's something to do with the fact that water temperatures are still relatively high (as much as 19 degrees around here) this causes the convection needed to produce lightening as the positively charged warm air rises off the sea and 'collides' with the negatively charged cold air above.
I may be drastically wrong

 

[Dodger]

Aye we have had it yesterday and at this very moment.....bizarre but kinda nice!

 

[CliveW]

As Dodger says we had it yesterday, but trust me , there was thunder. I've seen this a couple of times before.

 

[Dodger]

Yep plenty thunder..I actually thought the one before was snow rolling off the roof!

 

[Whereditgo]

Are you near the coast or a large body of water? As far as i'm aware it's something to do with the fact that water temperatures are still relatively high (as much as 19 degrees around here) this causes the convection needed to produce lightening as the positively charged warm air rises off the sea and 'collides' with the negatively charged cold air above.
I may be drastically wrong

Is the correct answer

Bit out on the temperatures though, sea temp is around +8 to +10 deg C and the air temp (at altitude) around -30 deg C.

The question has just been answered by the weather geezer on local TV

 

[medwayjon]

Saw this happen down at dungeness once, very weird I thought.

 

[stevek1969]

We had it yesterday morning at the back of 4 when trying to get work i was cacking it,it was explained on the BBC weather page.We had 5 or 6 lightning strikes in a 10 minute period and it was thrashing with snow.

 

[pokerjoke]

Are you near the coast or a large body of water? As far as i'm aware it's something to do with the fact that water temperatures are still relatively high (as much as 19 degrees around here) this causes the convection needed to produce lightening as the positively charged warm air rises off the sea and 'collides' with the negatively charged cold air above.
I may be drastically wrong

You may be wrong,but it sounds convincing.

 

[geejayboy28]

We had it up here a 12.30am on Sunday and I thought I had been woken up by an explosion, then we had the lightning which was like a camera flashbulb going off through the window...............really scarey!!!!

 

[CallawayKid]

Snow storms are more common over in the US and Canada and Russia, though they do appear to be happening more in the UK.

When I used to fly a lot I had the strange vision of seeing snow going upwards. It was falling from a cloud and being forced up into another, real strange to see.

Currently sitting in my office wondering if I'll get home tonight...

CK!

 

[Smiffy]

When I used to fly a lot I had the strange vision of seeing snow going upwards.
CK!

Red Arrow pilots see this a lot