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'Thundersnow' reported near The Pinery during Saturday snowfall

Precipitation came in quickly and stuck a bunch of snow to roads in the Denver metro area. But on Saturday, The Pinery saw likely the coolest weather phenomenon of the day: thundersnow.
Credit: Steve Bednarchik

THE PINERY, Colo. — If the snow that's hitting the metro area is unexpected, the fact that the snow is thundering has to be even less expected. According to 9NEWS meteorologist Cory Reppenhagen, residents on the southeastern edge of the metro area got to experience "thundersnow" Saturday afternoon.

The snow that began pelting Denver and the surrounding suburbs began fluttering to the earth just after noon and has picked up with wind and by sticking to roads and sidewalks in just a short hour. 

Further south, past Parker and east of Castle Pines, residents of The Pinery (and anyone within earshot) saw a lightning strike - as well as accompanying thunderclap - during the snowfall.

RELATED | Snow falls in parts of Denver metro area; Winter Weather Advisory for parts of High Country

The lone lightning strike hit just as precipitation began falling on The Pinery in earnest.

But you don't have to call it "thundersnow." You might call it a winter thunderstorm or a thundersnowstorm as well. It's an unusual type of storm with snowfall instead of rainfall (kind of like the name suggests).

Besides the snow for rain bit, the only other major difference between a winter thunderstorm and a "normal" thunderstorm is that the top of the cumulonimbus cloud (the giant anvil-like cloud that signifies a powerful storm) is usually quite low.

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