What is it?

Thundersnow is an extremely rare kind of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain.  They typically occur in regions of strong upward motion in the cold sector of an extratropical cyclone or over Jim Cantore’s head. <--- more on that later.

How dangerous is it?

All the same dangers are present in thunder snow with regards to the lightning.  Instead of heavy rain you’ll have very heavy snow.  Snowfall rates of 2-4”/hr are common and make driving treacherous. 

Meteorologist Jim Cantore has experienced this rare weather event four times in his life already!  When weather geeks and meteorologists get to experience such rare instances of weather, it’s very exciting and we know we may never see that again in our lifetime.   

Jim has never been shy behind the camera and is one of the most animated and excitable guys on the planet.  Check him out in this video reacting to thunder snow happening live during his live segment.  This video is in my top 5 All-Time favorite videos to watch.