‘Thundersnow’ reported in Metro Vancouver
Posted December 19, 2022 1:24 pm.
Last Updated December 22, 2022 7:42 am.
The winter weather caused a unique phenomenon late Sunday night, as some locals reported “thundersnow” — thunder and lightning when it’s snowing.
Thunder snow in Burnaby #vancouver #snow #burnaby #canada #theweathernetwork #vancouversnow #bcstorm #bcsnow pic.twitter.com/ISXbKkuM9b
— Vineetx (@NinjaGaara) December 18, 2022
One social media user said the experience was “unlike any thunder I’ve ever heard.”
Yes! Me too!! Unlike any thunder I’ve ever heard! Sounded like a jetliner crashing (twice)! Apparently, the low cloud cover both muffles AND amplifies the sound!
— Robin Edwin Robinson (@RobinEdwinRobi1) December 18, 2022
Anthony Di Stefano, a PhD student at the University of British Columbia with the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, says for thunderstorms to happen in the winter it takes a mixture of hot and cold conditions.
“What happened yesterday was that we had such an influx of cold air from our North, it was so cold that it created a unique situation in that the ground happened to be much warmer than the air above it. And so in some isolated cases, we had a situation where a thunderstorm…was able to actually form and thrive,”
“So the result of that was instead of having…intense rainfall, really intense snowfall.”
Locals in Burnaby, Vancouver and Richmond, reported hearing or seeing the phenomenon.
I gotta admit, I don't mind being woken up by #thundersnow! I wish I could've caught the lightning strike! Who did?#snow #BCSnow #WeatherReport #Vancouver pic.twitter.com/BgNyqqeOXv
— Shannon McKenney (@ShannonMcKenney) December 18, 2022
This comes as the wintry weather on B.C.’s South Coast continues, with more snow in the forecast. According to a new report from BC Hydro, winter holiday storms are becoming more frequent.
Lightning strike at Shelter Island Marina this morning. #Richmond (near #Vancouver). #sailboat @bchydro pic.twitter.com/QEdqa44nio
— QueerInBC (@QueerInBC) December 19, 2022
With more snow on the way, CityNews Meteorologist Carl Lam says temperatures are going to stay frigid for much of the week, too. The mercury isn’t expected to rise above zero again until Saturday.
Di Stefano says that as the colder temperature continues, it’s unlikely that there will be more thundersnow.
“Now the ground has had a chance to catch up with the temperature, so that means that likely, the temperature between the ground and the air is about the same,” he explained.
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