On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 06:28:37 -0500, RCE wrote:


I noticed on the official NOAH storm forecast that they say "localized
areas may receive more snow due to snowfall enhancement due to thunder".
What does thunder have to do with snowfall amounts? Interesting thing to
research.

First, don't be blaming this snowfall on me. ;-) Secondly, thunder
doesn't increase the amount of snow, but is a symptom of "convection
snow." Normal snow clouds are relatively low, but when you have a very
unstable airmass, convection will build clouds to a much higher level,
much like a summer thunderstorm. The added height means added snowfall.
Sometimes reaching several inches per hour. As is a thunderstorm, the
effect is usually local.

The above explanation is well short on the actual science, but is all I
remember after asking a local amateur meteorologist, "What the f... is
convection snow?"