Name: What caused the Chicago lake-effect thundersnow?
Uploaded: 2025-11-11T21:46:38.691Z
Duration: 29 s
Description: Chicago got its first snow of the season, but it was far from your typical dusting. A band of lake-effect thundersnow took aim at the Windy City, bringing snow with a side of thunder and lightning. But how did this happen? Meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser breaks down the lake-effect phenomenon and how the rarity of thundersnow got into the mix.

Chicago got its first snow of the season, but it was far from your typical dusting. A band of lake-effect thundersnow took aim at the Windy City, bringing snow with a side of thunder and lightning. But how did this happen? Meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser breaks down the lake-effect phenomenon and how the rarity of thundersnow got into the mix.

Chicago

A rare weather event known as thundersnow was observed in the Chicago area when extremely cold air moved over the warmer waters of Lake Michigan. This interaction led to the formation of clouds capable of producing snow, which was then pushed toward the city by strong north-northeast winds.

The atmospheric conditions were unstable enough to generate thunder and lightning within the snow band, similar to a typical thunderstorm but under winter conditions. Meteorologists highlight that the same ingredients that create regular thunderstorms can also lead to thundersnow when present during cold weather.

What caused the Chicago lake-effect thundersnow?

So you probably heard, but there was thundersnow in the Chicago area on Monday morning. Let's break down how this happened. Extremely cold air moved over the relatively warm waters of Lake Michigan, causing clouds to form with the capacity to dump snow. Strong winds from the north-northeast then pushed this band of lake effect snow towards Chicago. But the crazy part, there was enough instability in the atmosphere to trigger thunder and lightning in the snow band. Think the same ingredients as a regular thunderstorm, but winter conditions. Have you been lucky enough to hear thundersnow before? Drop your story below.

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