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© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Weather changes
- After a prolonged El Niño, its contrasting phenomenon—La Niña—finally emerged, though its arrival was delayed and its strength is currently considered weak.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Late arrival
- Research professor at the University of Miami Emily Becker suggests that the La Niña delay is linked to unusually warm global ocean temperatures, which have persisted for over a year. This prolonged warmth, combined with record-breaking air temperatures in 2024, likely disrupted the typical La Niña development.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Weaker than expected
- La Niña, marked by strong trade winds and unusually cool Pacific Ocean waters, often brings colder and wetter winters to the northern US. However, this year's La Niña is expected to be weak and may not last long, potentially limiting its impact on US weather.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Make it rain
- La Niña typically brings increased precipitation to the Midwest. This year, major cities like St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati are experiencing one of their wettest winter starts on record, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Freezing
- La Niña winters usually bring drier and warmer conditions to the South and Central US. However, since December 2024, brutally cold Arctic air has gripped the eastern two-thirds of the country, and nearly every week since has brought disruptive winter storms.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Storm with a twist
- These recent storms have brought an unusual twist: thundersnow. This rare phenomenon occurs when a snowstorm is accompanied by thunder and lightning.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow in the US
- On the first weekend of 2025, reports of thundersnow emerged from across the southern Midwest, as well as parts of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow reports
- On January 5, the National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis, Missouri, reported that NASA's GOES-East satellite captured lightning flashes across parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow reports
- NWS representatives took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce, "We are getting thundersnow/thundersleet!" They emphasized the intensity of the snowfall/sleet, urging residents to avoid travel whenever possible.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Warnings
- Winter storm warnings remained in effect for several days across the Central Plains and into the Mid-Atlantic. The NWS warned that disruptive storm conditions were expected to persist until January 6.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
State of emergency
- States of emergency have been declared in Arkansas, Kansas, New Jersey, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia, as a powerful winter storm continues to wreak havoc. Overnight, parts of Kansas saw a staggering 18 inches (45.72 centimeters) of snowfall.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
What causes thundersnow?
- Thunderstorms erupt when warm, humid air surges upward, colliding with cooler, drier air aloft. This encounter triggers the formation of towering cumulus clouds.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
What causes thundersnow?
- Inside these clouds, there are light ice crystals that float upwards and heavier ice pellets called graupel that fall downwards.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Sparking collision
- When these collide, electrical charges are created, which cause lightning and thunder.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Positive and negative
- This bumping causes electrons to jump from the ice crystals to the graupel. As a result, the top of the cloud becomes positively charged, while the bottom becomes negatively charged.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Opposite forces
- This difference in charge between the top and bottom of the cloud creates lightning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Visualizing it
- This builds up a strong negative charge at the cloud base, repelling electrons in the ground below. This is similar to how rubbing a balloon on your hair results in shifting charges, leaving the balloon negatively charged and the hair positively charged.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Light and sound
- Eventually, the tension becomes too much, and a powerful burst of energy (lightning) is released. This sudden burst of energy superheats the air around it, causing it to explode violently. This explosion creates the loud rumbling sound we call thunder.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Power combo
- Thundersnow happens when a thunderstorm erupts within a snowstorm.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Rare phenomenon
- Thundersnow is a rare sight during the winter months. Especially when it's cold enough for snow, the atmosphere is not as energetically charged, and the ground doesn't heat up as much, explains Jon Shonk, a Senior Scientist at the UK's Met Office.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Where do they occur?
- When they do happen, the Great Lakes region is a common hotspot for thundersnow. Additionally, according to Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather's senior weather editor and meteorologist, thundersnow is most frequent in the central US and the Intermountain West.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Lake-effect
- Ferrell explains that intense lake-effect snow bands, characterized by pockets of rapidly rising air caused by the stark temperature difference between the cold air above and the warm lake water, frequently produce thundersnow.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Seasonal differences
- Surprisingly, these winter factors that suppress thunderstorms actually contribute to their more frequent occurrence during the warmer summer months when the atmosphere is more energized and laden with moisture.
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Why so cold?
- The recent frigid temperatures gripping the US are a result of significant shifts in atmospheric pressure and a disruption of the polar vortex—a swirling band of strong winds that typically confines cold air to the Arctic.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow conditions
- This shift allows frigid Arctic air to plunge far deeper into the US than usual. When this icy blast collides with warmer, tropical air masses from the south, the clash can create the unique conditions needed for thundersnow.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Is thundersnow dangerous?
- Josh Weiss, a forecaster at NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, warns that "Like any storm that produces lightning, thundersnow can be dangerous." However, the lightning and thunder associated with snowstorms is typically less frequent and less intense than the powerful displays we see during summer thunderstorms.
© Reuters
26 / 30 Fotos
Not loud enough
- Unlike the booming thunder that can be heard from miles during summer storms, snow tends to dampen the sound, making it difficult to hear from a distance.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Not loud enough
- This muffled thunder can lull people into a false sense of security, making them less aware of the approaching storm and potentially increasing their risk of being struck by lightning.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Main danger
- Experts emphasize that the most significant danger of thundersnow is the heavy snowfall itself. "Thundersnow usually occurs only during the most intense snowfall," Weiss said, which can drastically reduce visibility and create treacherous travel conditions. Sources: (Live Science) (CNN)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Weather changes
- After a prolonged El Niño, its contrasting phenomenon—La Niña—finally emerged, though its arrival was delayed and its strength is currently considered weak.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
Late arrival
- Research professor at the University of Miami Emily Becker suggests that the La Niña delay is linked to unusually warm global ocean temperatures, which have persisted for over a year. This prolonged warmth, combined with record-breaking air temperatures in 2024, likely disrupted the typical La Niña development.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Weaker than expected
- La Niña, marked by strong trade winds and unusually cool Pacific Ocean waters, often brings colder and wetter winters to the northern US. However, this year's La Niña is expected to be weak and may not last long, potentially limiting its impact on US weather.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Make it rain
- La Niña typically brings increased precipitation to the Midwest. This year, major cities like St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati are experiencing one of their wettest winter starts on record, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Freezing
- La Niña winters usually bring drier and warmer conditions to the South and Central US. However, since December 2024, brutally cold Arctic air has gripped the eastern two-thirds of the country, and nearly every week since has brought disruptive winter storms.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Storm with a twist
- These recent storms have brought an unusual twist: thundersnow. This rare phenomenon occurs when a snowstorm is accompanied by thunder and lightning.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow in the US
- On the first weekend of 2025, reports of thundersnow emerged from across the southern Midwest, as well as parts of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow reports
- On January 5, the National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis, Missouri, reported that NASA's GOES-East satellite captured lightning flashes across parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow reports
- NWS representatives took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce, "We are getting thundersnow/thundersleet!" They emphasized the intensity of the snowfall/sleet, urging residents to avoid travel whenever possible.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Warnings
- Winter storm warnings remained in effect for several days across the Central Plains and into the Mid-Atlantic. The NWS warned that disruptive storm conditions were expected to persist until January 6.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
State of emergency
- States of emergency have been declared in Arkansas, Kansas, New Jersey, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia, as a powerful winter storm continues to wreak havoc. Overnight, parts of Kansas saw a staggering 18 inches (45.72 centimeters) of snowfall.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
What causes thundersnow?
- Thunderstorms erupt when warm, humid air surges upward, colliding with cooler, drier air aloft. This encounter triggers the formation of towering cumulus clouds.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
What causes thundersnow?
- Inside these clouds, there are light ice crystals that float upwards and heavier ice pellets called graupel that fall downwards.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Sparking collision
- When these collide, electrical charges are created, which cause lightning and thunder.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Positive and negative
- This bumping causes electrons to jump from the ice crystals to the graupel. As a result, the top of the cloud becomes positively charged, while the bottom becomes negatively charged.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Opposite forces
- This difference in charge between the top and bottom of the cloud creates lightning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Visualizing it
- This builds up a strong negative charge at the cloud base, repelling electrons in the ground below. This is similar to how rubbing a balloon on your hair results in shifting charges, leaving the balloon negatively charged and the hair positively charged.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Light and sound
- Eventually, the tension becomes too much, and a powerful burst of energy (lightning) is released. This sudden burst of energy superheats the air around it, causing it to explode violently. This explosion creates the loud rumbling sound we call thunder.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Power combo
- Thundersnow happens when a thunderstorm erupts within a snowstorm.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Rare phenomenon
- Thundersnow is a rare sight during the winter months. Especially when it's cold enough for snow, the atmosphere is not as energetically charged, and the ground doesn't heat up as much, explains Jon Shonk, a Senior Scientist at the UK's Met Office.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Where do they occur?
- When they do happen, the Great Lakes region is a common hotspot for thundersnow. Additionally, according to Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather's senior weather editor and meteorologist, thundersnow is most frequent in the central US and the Intermountain West.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Lake-effect
- Ferrell explains that intense lake-effect snow bands, characterized by pockets of rapidly rising air caused by the stark temperature difference between the cold air above and the warm lake water, frequently produce thundersnow.
© Getty Images
22 / 30 Fotos
Seasonal differences
- Surprisingly, these winter factors that suppress thunderstorms actually contribute to their more frequent occurrence during the warmer summer months when the atmosphere is more energized and laden with moisture.
© Getty Images
23 / 30 Fotos
Why so cold?
- The recent frigid temperatures gripping the US are a result of significant shifts in atmospheric pressure and a disruption of the polar vortex—a swirling band of strong winds that typically confines cold air to the Arctic.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow conditions
- This shift allows frigid Arctic air to plunge far deeper into the US than usual. When this icy blast collides with warmer, tropical air masses from the south, the clash can create the unique conditions needed for thundersnow.
© Getty Images
25 / 30 Fotos
Is thundersnow dangerous?
- Josh Weiss, a forecaster at NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, warns that "Like any storm that produces lightning, thundersnow can be dangerous." However, the lightning and thunder associated with snowstorms is typically less frequent and less intense than the powerful displays we see during summer thunderstorms.
© Reuters
26 / 30 Fotos
Not loud enough
- Unlike the booming thunder that can be heard from miles during summer storms, snow tends to dampen the sound, making it difficult to hear from a distance.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Not loud enough
- This muffled thunder can lull people into a false sense of security, making them less aware of the approaching storm and potentially increasing their risk of being struck by lightning.
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Main danger
- Experts emphasize that the most significant danger of thundersnow is the heavy snowfall itself. "Thundersnow usually occurs only during the most intense snowfall," Weiss said, which can drastically reduce visibility and create treacherous travel conditions. Sources: (Live Science) (CNN)
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
Thundersnow: the rare weather phenomenon hitting the US
The unusual storm severely impacted the East Coast and Midwest
© Shutterstock
The first weekend of 2025 saw a spectacular display of nature's fury as thundersnow erupted across several eastern and central US states. While millions of Americans shivered under the onslaught of a brutal Arctic blast, a rare phenomenon unfolded—lightning and thunder amidst a raging blizzard.
The unique weather event, known as thundersnow, is gripping parts of the country, raising concerns among meteorologists. How does this seemingly contradictory weather event occur? And what are the risks associated with it? Click through this gallery to explore the science behind thundersnow and the challenges it presents.
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