Rare ‘thundersnow’ strikes southwestern Ontario
Dale Carruthers, QMI Agency
First posted: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 07:04 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 07:26 AM EST
LONDON, Ont. — A rare weather phenomenon called a thundersnow struck London late Monday night.
The sky was already white with snow flurries when a flash of light lit up the night. Seconds later, the booming sound of thunder shattered the night silence. All the while, snowflakes continued to fall.
And just like that, it was over, leaving Londoners questioning whether what they'd just seen and heard actually happened.
Environment Canada says what happened in London around 11:15 p.m. Monday night was real.
"It's called a thundersnow. It's rare, though," Environment Canada meteorologist David Phillips said.
The phenomenon occurs during a thunderstorm where snow is the dominant type of precipitation.
Areas around Great Lakes are among the most likely places on Earth for a thundersnow to occur.
Minutes after the thundersnow struck, social media was abuzz with people questioning if lightning and thunder were possible in the middle of a February snowstorm.
Like a summer thunderstorm, a thundersnow starts when heat on the ground pushes masses of warm, moist air upward, creating unstable air columns. As it rises, the moisture forms clouds, which contain internal turbulence, leading to lightning.
"It's almost like a laboratory inside the cloud," Phillips said.
Frightening as a thundersnow may be, it packs more bark than bite.
"I've never heard of anyone being zapped or electrocuted by a thundersnow, Phillips said. “Nobody should be hiding under the bed when these things occur.”
dale.carruthers@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @DaleatLFPress
Rare ‘thundersnow’ strikes southwestern Ontario | Ontario | News | Toronto Sun
Dale Carruthers, QMI Agency
First posted: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 07:04 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 07:26 AM EST
LONDON, Ont. — A rare weather phenomenon called a thundersnow struck London late Monday night.
The sky was already white with snow flurries when a flash of light lit up the night. Seconds later, the booming sound of thunder shattered the night silence. All the while, snowflakes continued to fall.
And just like that, it was over, leaving Londoners questioning whether what they'd just seen and heard actually happened.
Environment Canada says what happened in London around 11:15 p.m. Monday night was real.
"It's called a thundersnow. It's rare, though," Environment Canada meteorologist David Phillips said.
The phenomenon occurs during a thunderstorm where snow is the dominant type of precipitation.
Areas around Great Lakes are among the most likely places on Earth for a thundersnow to occur.
Minutes after the thundersnow struck, social media was abuzz with people questioning if lightning and thunder were possible in the middle of a February snowstorm.
Like a summer thunderstorm, a thundersnow starts when heat on the ground pushes masses of warm, moist air upward, creating unstable air columns. As it rises, the moisture forms clouds, which contain internal turbulence, leading to lightning.
"It's almost like a laboratory inside the cloud," Phillips said.
Frightening as a thundersnow may be, it packs more bark than bite.
"I've never heard of anyone being zapped or electrocuted by a thundersnow, Phillips said. “Nobody should be hiding under the bed when these things occur.”
dale.carruthers@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @DaleatLFPress
Rare ‘thundersnow’ strikes southwestern Ontario | Ontario | News | Toronto Sun
