Thundersnow...A Rising Phenomenon?

So I tried to do some research on why the snow was that texture but didn't get any where. I tried "grainy snow", "sandy snow" and nothing. I don't what else to call it. Maybe I'm just being obsessive but I'd really like to know why. I use to live in northern Ontario had I've done a lot of shovelling over the years (even my roof, man I hated that) and I just don't remember the snow being like that. It's bugging me now. There has to be a reason.

Apparently it is fairly rare EXCEPT for lake effect thundersnow which is more common.
I took a peek at the wiki page and the temp conditions needed to be present may affect the snow crystal formation causing the grainy texture. Maybe the snow is formed too fast and it freezes into granules? Just speculating since I do not wish to go to meteorology school.

reply to post by shadow watcher
reply to post by jest3r

I think I remember reading that the granularity of the snow has a lot to do with the strong convection that occurs during these types of storms. It's not exactly hail or sleet because it's snowing, but the snow gets bounced around more in the atmosphere. I think this may have been in one of the papers I linked to. And I believe they said this happens over the desert a lot, which I suppose would make some sense as the difference in temps there is probably typically more radical.

reply to post by shadow watcher

Someone in Ohio mentioned that they just had some there today (or maybe he said yesterday) too. Rhode Island seems to be in the belt from New England to DC that seems to be picking up in thundersnow activity in recent years.

Hmmm with the convection causing the snow crystals to bounce around, I bet the static electricity build up is enormous.

reply to post by shadow watcher


That sounds like a good explaination. I was starting to wonder if there was oil in it or something from the Gulf, though I don't think that's likely and it didn't feel oily. I'm not too keen on going to meteorology school either. Thank you.

reply to post by shadow watcher

Did you see that article from Huntsville, AL? There was a lighting bolt 50 miles long. The gravity waves they reported were pretty crazy too. That's in the conspiracy section of the OP and also the last update I posted. I think something's going on there in Huntsville.

I've heard thunder and saw lightning flashes during a few snow storms this year. It's interesting to me because I've never experienced this phenomena before. I live in Utah and have lived all over the world but this was the first experience with this phenomena.