We have all witnessed a lightning bolt illuminating the night sky and heard the booming crack of thunder that follows. But what exactly is going on to cause this intense weather phenomenon?

Where there’s lightning, a crash of thunder isn’t far behind. If a storm has passed and the sun has returned, it can make lightning flashes difficult or even impossible to see.

What is thundersnow? When thunder and lightning occur during a snowstorm, meteorologists refer to the phenomenon as thundersnow.