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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Photo: "Thundersnow" Facts: Mysterious Storms Explained


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Thunderstorms—like this one rolling over a Minnesota farm—usually form when warm, moist air near the ground rises, creating unstable air columns.

In a rare phenomenon dubbed thundersnow, such conditions can occur in late winter or early spring, sparking thunder and lighting during snowstorms.

Researchers are studying how these winter thunderstorms form with snow-imaging technology (above right).

Photograph by Richard Olsenius/NGS (left) and courtesy Patrick Market (right)