Winter in New Mexico is always a magical time of year with its snowy landscapes, icy waterfalls, and glowing farolitos. But did you know that if you’re lucky, you can also witness an unusual natural phenomenon here?
Unusual, impressive, and dangerous, thundersnow is one striking natural phenomenon you can occasionally see right here in New Mexico.
Charles Patrick Ewing/Flickr This is essentially a winter thunderstorm with low clouds, during which you’ll see snow or hail falling instead of rain.
This is typically a pretty rare event that occurs when a thunderstorm rolls in during the winter.
Robert Adams/Flickr What makes it so rare? The atmospheric conditions have to be just right in order for it to occur. Typical thunderstorms require heat and moisture, but during a thundersnow storm, a convection airflow has to form in a dry, cold environment - and that doesn’t happen often.
One thing to note: thundersnow is slightly more likely to happen near bodies of water or on mountainsides since lightning requires rising warmer air.
Sarah Richter/Flickr
Another impressive detail about thundersnow? The sound of the thunder is suppressed thanks to all that snow.
Daniel/Flickr This means that thunder can only be heard in fairly short distances - typically only within a two or three-mile radius - as opposed to many, many miles during a warm-weather thunderstorm.
There is also an old wives’ tale that thunder during a snowstorm means there’s a likelihood for more snow to fall within the next week.
Robert Adams/Flickr
While not exactly true, hearing thunder at any time is a decent indicator that precipitation is coming within a short time period.
Travis/Flickr During a winter thunderstorm, you can typically expect heavier than usual snowfall for the next 24 hours.
Thundersnow isn’t the only natural phenomenon you may experience in New Mexico. Over in Taos, an approximate two percent of residents can hear a persistent hum. Read more in This Strange Phenomenon In New Mexico Is Too Strange For Words.
Charles Patrick Ewing/Flickr
This is essentially a winter thunderstorm with low clouds, during which you’ll see snow or hail falling instead of rain.
Robert Adams/Flickr
What makes it so rare? The atmospheric conditions have to be just right in order for it to occur. Typical thunderstorms require heat and moisture, but during a thundersnow storm, a convection airflow has to form in a dry, cold environment - and that doesn’t happen often.
Sarah Richter/Flickr
Daniel/Flickr
This means that thunder can only be heard in fairly short distances - typically only within a two or three-mile radius - as opposed to many, many miles during a warm-weather thunderstorm.
Travis/Flickr
During a winter thunderstorm, you can typically expect heavier than usual snowfall for the next 24 hours.
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