Does it ever thunder and lightning (very very frightening) without any rain?

alaspooryoric

Usually when we have thunder, we will get some rain to come along with it but it doesn't always have to be the case. Since sound can travel for many miles, we can hear thunder long before we get any rainfall. Also, a storm can produce thunder without giving a drop of rainfall. These are sometimes referred to as dry thunderstorms. We just need lightning to cause thunder, so a storm may be producing this lightning before any rain reaches the ground. ~Meteorologist Keith Monday http://www.wsoctv.com/weather/23987407/detail.html Jun 05 11, 7:07 PM

Zbeckabee

Dry lightning is a term which is used to refer to lightning strikes occurring without precipitation. The term is a technical misnomer since lightning is obviously not wet in any instance, and also because the thunderstorms which sometimes cause it actually do produce precipitation, although the precipitation does not reach the ground. Such thunderstorms are most common in the western portion of the United States during the summer. They occur when the rain produced by thunderstorms falls through a substantial layer of very dry air which evaporates the precipitation before it reaches the ground. Dry thunderstorms are notable for two other reasons: they are the most common natural origin of wildland fires, and they can produce strong gusty surface winds that can fan flames. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_lightning Jun 05 11, 8:51 PM