Thundersnow

This is probably the science nerd in me, but I was totally psyched tonight when we had a “Thundersnow” shower pass through. What an amazing show of God’s ability to do something so unusual yet so beautiful.

Here’s what Thundersnow is:

“Thundersnow is formed when temperatures in the lower atmosphere is relatively warm (it was 48 degrees Friday afternoon). The air is then lifted quickly. Because warmer air can have a higher moisture content there are lots of liquid water droplets in the clouds.

These droplets are violently smashed together in the rapid up and down drafts in the cloud. This ionizes the droplets, creating positively and negatively charged water droplets. Just like shuffling your feet over carpet this creates static electricity. When the static electricity is discharged it is lightning.

Thunder is the shock wave that the air makes as it quickly expands when the lightning passes through it, then contracts after the lightning bolt dissipates.”