Thundersnow possible in Arkansas as winter weather comes through Tuesday and Wednesday
It is hard to see any bolt of lightning before the thunder clap follows in a snowstorm. But it happens.
It may be rare, but thundersnow is possible Tuesday and Wednesday in Arkansas in the system expected to bring about 2 inches to 4 inches of powdery white flakes to the River Valley. Higher amounts are expected in Fayetteville with about 8 inches of snow in the forecast.
Conditions were right for the thundersnow phenomenon as rain switched over to snowfall Tuesday afternoon, said senior meteorologist Karen Hatfield at the National Weather Service's Tulsa, Okla. forecast office.
"To get thundersnow it takes the same ingredients as in a thunderstorm in spring or summer," Hatfield said. "There is instability aloft. It is no different than in spring or summer but it is a little bit more rare in winter."
It is hard to see the lightning before a thundersnow clap is suddenly heard because the lightning is in the clouds, making it harder to see than a bolt that hits the ground.
Hatfield there is a strong upper storm system in the area Tuesday under a winter storm warning from southeast Oklahoma through northwest Arkansas.
In the Arkansas River Valley and the Sebastian County area, ground temperatures are much warmer than in the atmosphere. If there is thundersnow heard, it may mean that snow is more likely to fall and pile up quicker, as is expected Tuesday afternoon and evening. The winter storm warning for the area will end at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Hatfield said.
Rain was expected to begin to turn to snow in Fort Smith about noon Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas winter weather: Thundersnow possible in storm moving in
