Thundersnow SENSE OF THE SEASON...

Last January, residents of Conwy in Wales were awoken by a deafening boom before formidable forks of lightning lit up the streets and countryside. This apocalyptic weather, known as ‘thundersnow’, occurs when cold conditions mean that heavy rain falls as snow (at a rate of up to 10cm per hour). Unlike a typical thunderstorm, which reverberates for miles around, thundersnow can only be heard if you’re in close proximity to the lightning – the swirling snow acting as an ‘acoustic suppressor’. Although rare in the UK, our increasingly changeable climate suggests that it might not be too long before we experience this meteorological marvel again. Find out more at metoffice.gov.uk.