Why aren't there t-storms in winter (at least in Minnesota)?

Question

In Minnesota, it was snowing and there was thunder and lightning. Why doesn't this happen in the middle of winter?

Answer 1

There are undoubtedly thunderstorms during the winter in Minnesota but they are rare, mostly due to the dryness of the air.

Answer 2

Electricity doesn't really flow through cold very well. That is unless it's a superconductor.... but that's another story

Answer 3

Well first all thunderstorms whether they are severe or not need moist, unstable air. During the winter the air is just plain cold and very stable especially across the upper Midwest. So this is why thunderstorms are not too common during the winter. However, you could have thunder snow which is a thunderstorm in snow, but they have to be a very strong, dynamical lifting.

Answer 4

In summer the air is more unstable.The humidity and air pressure is all different.Plus,with the warmth,this is what thunderstorm  like to build in.Winter is to cold.Not enough unstable air to produce such conditions

Answer 5

Thunderstorms need a lot of energy to build up: Clouds crashing together, lightning, wind, etc.; and all that energy needs to come from a source. The best, and most efficient source of all that energy is the heat and humidity of a hot summer day.

Once a front that carries storm potential finds it's way to an area with a lot of heat, it's like plugging in an appliance. Suddenly you're cooking! The heat boils up into the sky, the storm harnesses the energy and pours it back down on you.

There's just not enough heat in winter to do the job. Sometimes during freak winter warm days you'll get a very strange day where the sky can't decide if it wants to rain or snow, and the warmth of the day and difference in temperature makes enough energy to make thunder, but that's not very common at all.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Not enough warm air.

There is plenty of warm air invading from the south to fuel a thunderstorm at this time of year, but enough cold air to the north to keep it in the form of snow.

Also if you live in a colder climate (even colder than Minnesota), the heaviest snows would be in spring and fall, just because there's more moisture in warmer air.

Answer 8

The dominant wind direction in the Midwest during winter is from the North...this cold air from Canada is dry, and carries little moisture with it.

Warm, moist air colliding with cold air is what causes a thunderstorm...so without this, we see an absence of thunderstorms