Lightning question

[franz]

I believe snow shower is pretty much the same principle as rain shower, and their results are determined by the temperature. What interest me is lightning. It happens in summer time, mostly before heavy rain showers. How come there is no lightning before snow storm?

 

[Omnis]

Thundersnow:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_snow

 

[Kylehnat]

Thunderstorms are the result of intense daytime heating, creating an unstable atmosphere (the air way up high is much colder than the air at the ground). They tend to form in the spring and summer (when the instability is at a maximum), so when the conditions are ripe for thunderstorms, it's too warm at ground level to snow. Thundersnow does happen, but it's not a common occurrence.

 

[Leonidae]

we had a storm like that earlier this year. it was quite strange.

 

[franz]

Thanks guys 👍

 

[wfooshee]

I couldn't answer this one. Haven't seen any snow for 11 years, and had to travel to get that!

 

[kikie]

I thought it was because the atmosphere in the lower regions (- charge) has the (almost) same t° as in the higher region (+ charge).
As cold air doesn't go up, the + air can't come in contact with the - air. I guess that the last part isn't correct.

 

[Kylehnat]

The + and - charges don't have to be anywhere near each other to set off lightning. There just has to be a large separation of charges, where the + charges gather in one place, and the - charges gather another place. The more distinct this separation is, the more intense the lightning will be.