When thunderstorms form in wintry conditions they can produce heavy downpours of snow called thundersnow.
Thunderstorms can develop when warm air is trapped underneath colder air and begins to rise. These conditions are common in the spring and summer, which is why we have thunderstorms. Now although rare, thunderstorms can occur in the Winter as well.
Instead of rain, a winter thunderstorm will produce very heavy snowfall. This snow can dampen the sound of the thunder. So while the thunder from a typical thunderstorm can be heard from miles away, thunder from thundersnow can only be heard from within 2 to 5 miles of the lightning. If thundersnow occurs at night, the lightning can seem brighter since it reflects off the snowflakes.
Thundersnow has already occurred in Maryland this Winter on January 12th near Hagerstown. Below is a picture of the radar showing its time & location from my Twitter account.
Thundersnow will be possible with this blizzard Friday night and Saturday morning.
I will be on the lookout for it again and will post updates on my Facebook & Twitter pages.
