DENVER ( KDVR ) — The storm on Sunday dropped rain, hail and snow across Colorado, which caused some traffic issues on Monday morning. But the storm brought more than just a couple of inches of snow — it also brought a rare weather phenomenon.
A FOX31 viewer sent a video, displayed above, capturing the unique event.
At first, the video shows a mix of rain and snow falling outside a home on Lookout Mountain. Then, about 25 seconds into the video, thunder erupts, lasting almost 10 seconds.
Photos: Snowy road conditions on Monday morning commute
This phenomenon is known as thundersnow , which is a thunderstorm in the winter.
How thundersnow works
While thunder is less common in the winter, it can happen. Thundersnow happens when a thunder and lightning storm occurs during a snowstorm.
Thundersnow is the same as a thunderstorm, just with snow instead of rain, according to Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Greg Perez.
It doesn’t normally happen in the winter because there isn’t as much energy in these types of systems, said Perez. Usually, in snowstorms, there is a lack of heat and low cloud levels.