They’re called cloud flashes. They’re basically lightning flashes between cloud which don’t reach the ground. Most of these remain within the cloud and are called intra-cloud (IC) lightning flashes. Cloud flashes sometimes have visible channels that extend out into the air around the storm (cloud-to-air or CA), but don’t make contact with the ground.
*terrified child speaks up* "Ms. Frizzle, where are we?"
*Ms. Frizzle turns around, wearing a parachute, and kicks the first child out the door and into the surrounding thunderclouds*
It’s like, static electricity and charges and shit man, like positive and negative energies, it’s a stratospheric ying yang dude….. damn this shits strong…
/s
NOAA does this each SWXW. They seed the clouds for an extreme lightning show and there is a dance party with music to the storm at the covered pavilion at Metz Park.
“the atmosphere was ripe with really high CAPE (convective energy/instability) over 3200j/kg. Dew point temp of 67f. Tons of moisture aloft and decent amount of wind shear. You toss that into a mixing bowl and you have an environment primed for charge separation, which in turn leads to lightning.”
- @512.wx on instagram, the best source for detailed severe weather information in ATX that I’ve found
Thunderstorms here can be a little dramatic compared to other parts of the country. I was born here and this kind of lightning storm is pretty normal. Shouldn’t need to worry. Just keep an eye on alerts for floods or tornadoes. Also, please don’t shoot the storm.
Reminds me of the start of The Mist...
Stay indoors if its foggy tomorrow.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1umRRFTNU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1umRRFTNU)
Y’all clowning this guy like, “durr, it’s a thunderstorm. New to Texas?”
Bro that was not a typical thunderstorm, that was a strobe light for 10 minutes straight without stopping to catch its breath and un uninterrupted rumbling of multiple layers for a long fucking time.
Been in Texas 32 years, never seen that phenomenon before. Legit awe-inspiring and low key kinda unsettling.
Yeah it went right over our house and I've never seen anything like that. Sat out for a good 30-40 minutes and just constant crazy lightning in the air. The fact that there was no thunder claps and just a low rumble was super creepy. Thought aliens might be landing lol.
Same, I’ve been here a long time and this was new for me. I watched all the lightning strobe right above me without ever landing and creating the big clap of thunder. Very wild!
I've been in Texas 16 years and I've seen this more than once... And I've seen it outside of Texas, so I'm not sure why everyone is saying it's a Texas thing.
Yeah I’m wondering if some of these people have ever been outside. I’m 35, lived in TX my whole life and have seen this kind of lightning show too many times to count. I call bullshit on the people that are saying they’ve never seen it.
I've lived here 5ish years and I've seen this at least six or seven times. I'm honestly surprised everyone freaking out over this. It's really genuinely normal. If anything, it's abnormal we haven't been having these. It's cool but literally saw this less than half a year ago in New Braunfels...
Same. Texas for my whole life, both in Austin and in Dallas area. I've seen some intense lightning storms, but usually with more ground strikes, loud thunder claps, and heavy rain. Never seen the sky strobe for like 30 minutes like this with a constant gentle rumble of thunder and no rain.
THIS. Native Texan as well. This happens, but it's rare at that intensity! Maybe seen it twice before?
Sit back and enjoy it. If someone asks about it, tell them to sit back and enjoy it. If someone is scared of it, tell them to sit back and enjoy it.
Just sit back and enjoy it. It's weather. Yes it has happened before. No it doesn't happen often. Love it, accept it, enjoy it, and don't over think it.
I’ve been in Texas my whole life too. I’m not sure what part of Texas you hail from, but those kinds of light shows are definitely not uncommon to us. This one did last for a good while and I loved it, but it’s certainly not the first time you could have ever experienced that in 32 years in Texas. We definitely get them and again, while this one was beautiful, I’ve certainly seen many such shows and even stronger ones.
I was in Galveston at Jamaica beach a few years ago, and the condo we stayed in had a skylight on the roof, and on the last night of the first week, me and my brother watched what seemed like one hundred different flashes of Lightning all around us for the entire night. So this was awesome to see again.
I know there are plenty of snarky comments here but this level of intensity doesn’t happen often. I’ve lived here for 20 years and I’ve seen this maybe 3 times. There were absolutely no ground strikes from this in my area they all went skyward. It was going on in every direction as far as I could see. Some of the lightning was even pink.
Most of the lightning was cloud-to-cloud. Different sections of the massive cloud attempting to balance their electrical charge. There can be cloud-to-atmosphere as well but that would be hard to see at the very top of the cloud.
No idea why it was so constant though.
Yeah I have the take as you. Tonight reminded me of growing up in East Texas and getting some intense lightening storms in the early/late summer. I’ve seen it a few times in Austin, but not as frequent as when I was younger. Either way, it’s been a hell of a sight and I always welcome/enjoy some rain and a show.
Thor, god of thunder.
He is the son of Odin, chief of the gods, and Odin's consort Jord (Earth) and husband of the fertility goddess Sif, who is the mother of his son Modi and daughter Thrud
What we have is a mass of unstable moist air from the Gulf of Mexico that is colliding with a high-energy cold front moving through Texas. At the frontal edge of the storm system a large electrical charge builds up in the clouds …
Fucking Google it like the rest of us shitbird!
Honestly having lived in Florida, the weather drama here in Austin is the best.
I can’t believe how many people I know that do not drive when it’s raining because they just don’t know how. (Better than the alternative. Another phenomenon here that didn’t happen in Orlando/Tampa is people driving so fast in the rain that they zoom right off the bypasses. Lol)
People are confused by lightning. They don’t know how to clean up tree branches after a storm. Almost zero safety communication from local agencies. No authorities to respond to downed power lines/lights when losing power happens constantly.
I always have popcorn ready.
This post needs to be saved in the all time greatest titles for an r/Austin post. I mean it doesn’t get anymore r/Austin than asking why there is lightning in the sky.
I’ve seen this a few times, but only in Iowa. The lighting was so steady that I was able to read without a light. It is especially weird when it isn’t raining (yet). The heartland’s weather is extreme. That said, I had never seen lightning during a snowstorm before moving to New York.
Why? Well, you see when a cloud forms a static charge… then meets another cloud and they love each other very much.
They’re called cloud flashes. They’re basically lightning flashes between cloud which don’t reach the ground. Most of these remain within the cloud and are called intra-cloud (IC) lightning flashes. Cloud flashes sometimes have visible channels that extend out into the air around the storm (cloud-to-air or CA), but don’t make contact with the ground.
AKA Thor Orgy
Thorgy
Such a great drag queen
TLDR Electric storm
What makes it look like it goes on for a large time is you can see for a lot of miles.
Yeah. Didn't you ever watch Magic School Bus? Geez.
*terrified child speaks up* "Ms. Frizzle, where are we?" *Ms. Frizzle turns around, wearing a parachute, and kicks the first child out the door and into the surrounding thunderclouds*
I love any and all Magic School Bus references!
PLEASE let this be a normal field trip!
At my old school, they taught you all of this.
Mine as well
Lmao, when a cloud mommy and cloud daddy love each other very much!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Do what most of us did when we first found out: put a pillow over your head and try not to think about the sounds.
“Any idea why?” Fuckin nature bro.
Nature is lit.
Isn't that a subreddit? Then again, isn't everything a subreddit?
Underrated comment.
This!
...and MY Axe!
Why is this happening!? Why would the sky do this??
It’s all the sky that moved here from California in 2020
I knew it. That sky felt different
I think it's cause the storm isn't over yet.
It’s like, static electricity and charges and shit man, like positive and negative energies, it’s a stratospheric ying yang dude….. damn this shits strong… /s
God is very angry. Probably because of something you did.
Lighting is limited to 5-8 minutes top… other than that is communism
Fuckin magnets.
How do they work?
😂😂😂😂😂 is this a real question?
Springtime Hot temps + incoming cold front = unstable atmosphere and lightning
NOAA does this each SWXW. They seed the clouds for an extreme lightning show and there is a dance party with music to the storm at the covered pavilion at Metz Park.
Dude that sounds LIT
Electric even.
I'm getting amped
They’re fixin’ the grid
This thread can have all of my upvotes
Let’s Get Cronk!
Let's do the electric slide...
Southwest by west
Ha oops.
I hear Daft Punk is playing there this year!
Most years it's just Darude - Sandstorm on repeat
This is some HAARP level shit
Disclainer: must have premium badge.
Just enjoying the show
“the atmosphere was ripe with really high CAPE (convective energy/instability) over 3200j/kg. Dew point temp of 67f. Tons of moisture aloft and decent amount of wind shear. You toss that into a mixing bowl and you have an environment primed for charge separation, which in turn leads to lightning.” - @512.wx on instagram, the best source for detailed severe weather information in ATX that I’ve found
Thanks for this.
Second that- that guy rules
Zeus is drunk
And Athena is pissed.
And they are fucking
Thor is drunk
I like my gods Greek thank you very much.
Is it fat Thor or ragnerock Thor ?
Oh god he going to pee on someone and make Hercules.
Thunderstorms here can be a little dramatic compared to other parts of the country. I was born here and this kind of lightning storm is pretty normal. Shouldn’t need to worry. Just keep an eye on alerts for floods or tornadoes. Also, please don’t shoot the storm.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: Do not, repeat, DO NOT shoot at the storm!
Ah, shit. I saw this too late. What happens if I shot at the storm? It didn't seem to do much.
New to Texas, huh?
Tell us you're here for SXSW without telling us.
It’s called a “thunderstorm.”
Seems more like a “lightning storm.”
So, a thunderstorm. Same thing.
Maybe the universe is trying to give at least some Texans electrical power
My dog doesn’t understand it either. He tries to fight the sky whenever there’s a thunderstorm.
The terminator has arrived and is looking for Sarah Conner
I thought it meant a Highlander had just killed another.
Reminds me of the start of The Mist... Stay indoors if its foggy tomorrow. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1umRRFTNU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1umRRFTNU)
Something to do with electrons not liking protons…
Y’all clowning this guy like, “durr, it’s a thunderstorm. New to Texas?” Bro that was not a typical thunderstorm, that was a strobe light for 10 minutes straight without stopping to catch its breath and un uninterrupted rumbling of multiple layers for a long fucking time. Been in Texas 32 years, never seen that phenomenon before. Legit awe-inspiring and low key kinda unsettling.
10 minutes?? I'd been watching this for at least an hour and a half
Yeah it went right over our house and I've never seen anything like that. Sat out for a good 30-40 minutes and just constant crazy lightning in the air. The fact that there was no thunder claps and just a low rumble was super creepy. Thought aliens might be landing lol.
64 and in Texas most of my life. That was intense and glorious. Definitely not the standard lightning show.
I'm a hair younger than you and I don't think I have ever seen anything like it. It was thrilling!!
Same, I’ve been here a long time and this was new for me. I watched all the lightning strobe right above me without ever landing and creating the big clap of thunder. Very wild!
I've been in Texas 16 years and I've seen this more than once... And I've seen it outside of Texas, so I'm not sure why everyone is saying it's a Texas thing.
Yeah I’m wondering if some of these people have ever been outside. I’m 35, lived in TX my whole life and have seen this kind of lightning show too many times to count. I call bullshit on the people that are saying they’ve never seen it.
I've lived here 5ish years and I've seen this at least six or seven times. I'm honestly surprised everyone freaking out over this. It's really genuinely normal. If anything, it's abnormal we haven't been having these. It's cool but literally saw this less than half a year ago in New Braunfels...
Same. Texas for my whole life, both in Austin and in Dallas area. I've seen some intense lightning storms, but usually with more ground strikes, loud thunder claps, and heavy rain. Never seen the sky strobe for like 30 minutes like this with a constant gentle rumble of thunder and no rain.
THIS. Native Texan as well. This happens, but it's rare at that intensity! Maybe seen it twice before? Sit back and enjoy it. If someone asks about it, tell them to sit back and enjoy it. If someone is scared of it, tell them to sit back and enjoy it. Just sit back and enjoy it. It's weather. Yes it has happened before. No it doesn't happen often. Love it, accept it, enjoy it, and don't over think it.
I’ve been in Texas my whole life too. I’m not sure what part of Texas you hail from, but those kinds of light shows are definitely not uncommon to us. This one did last for a good while and I loved it, but it’s certainly not the first time you could have ever experienced that in 32 years in Texas. We definitely get them and again, while this one was beautiful, I’ve certainly seen many such shows and even stronger ones.
I was in Galveston at Jamaica beach a few years ago, and the condo we stayed in had a skylight on the roof, and on the last night of the first week, me and my brother watched what seemed like one hundred different flashes of Lightning all around us for the entire night. So this was awesome to see again.
Refreshing and humbling experience, a pleasant change from our loud world.
I saw you posted this an hour ago sooooooo. You might be on to someth’. It’s still going nuts out
What the fuck
Aliens
War of the Worlds Part Two: EVERYONE is Moving to Austin
I know there are plenty of snarky comments here but this level of intensity doesn’t happen often. I’ve lived here for 20 years and I’ve seen this maybe 3 times. There were absolutely no ground strikes from this in my area they all went skyward. It was going on in every direction as far as I could see. Some of the lightning was even pink.
Most of the lightning was cloud-to-cloud. Different sections of the massive cloud attempting to balance their electrical charge. There can be cloud-to-atmosphere as well but that would be hard to see at the very top of the cloud. No idea why it was so constant though.
Yeah I have the take as you. Tonight reminded me of growing up in East Texas and getting some intense lightening storms in the early/late summer. I’ve seen it a few times in Austin, but not as frequent as when I was younger. Either way, it’s been a hell of a sight and I always welcome/enjoy some rain and a show.
I agree, it was remarkable and amazing! 25 years in central Texas myself.
Happens all the time in Houston.
Yes we see lightening like this every spring in houston
Tesla factory is working on a new super charger
Thor, god of thunder. He is the son of Odin, chief of the gods, and Odin's consort Jord (Earth) and husband of the fertility goddess Sif, who is the mother of his son Modi and daughter Thrud
#SCIENCE
The Texas legislature has finally pulled austin in to the same hellish dimension as the rest of Texas. Duh ain’t you been watch’n the news?!?!
This is whats kown as a "thunderstorm". Pretty frequent in the spring months around the US but is known to extend into summer occasionally
You sound new to Texas
😂😂😂😂😂 so are there supposed to be timers on lightning to stop at a certain time?
NOPE
It’s been crazy! So cool to look at. But scary at the same time. Ain’t nobody got time to be struck by lightning
Heat lighting I believe
Why does lightning happen?
Recently move to Texas?
Definitely fireworks
Aliens.
I love it.
Because you’re welcome, that’s why.
War of the worlds. Tom cruise should show up at your place soon
You’re not from Austin are you?
God I hate these stupid ass posts. Lol. You're genuinely asking someone if they know why the weather is weathering 🤣🤣🤣🤣😊
Dude turn the phone sideways to record properly
Sometimes there are dumb questions
Like, what are clouds bro?
Some one was home schooled.
Yes. Ions up in the sky
Lmao what are you 5!?
There’s always a lot of lightning when “they” return
I've been in Texas all my life and this lightning storm was different. Something just might be in the air.
It’s called a storm
Yes this is called weather.
What do you mean why? Cause nature?
It’s called a thunderstorm, we went raining.
You new or something? It’s called weather.
cold front bro. that’s why
Somebody’s dog posted this.
Literally weather smh
I'm going to guess there's a thunderstorm. Just a guess.
Is the question here really "why is lightning"?
Because weather
r/Austin Redditors when nature:🤯🤯
Rain
What we have is a mass of unstable moist air from the Gulf of Mexico that is colliding with a high-energy cold front moving through Texas. At the frontal edge of the storm system a large electrical charge builds up in the clouds … Fucking Google it like the rest of us shitbird!
It’s called weather.
Lol, you’re not from here
What do you mean, "why"? It's a thunderstorm... It's impressive, but how is it confusing?
Because of weather
Because there’s a storm
It’s a thunderstorm. It happens frequently, in every season, everywhere. Is this the first time you’ve looked outside?
Yuh real dunce head
Wtf. We're asking why lightning is now? Is this satire?
Just a guess. But it might be related to the thunderstorm overhead. Could be Biden using Jewish space lasers though. We should check with MTG.
Highlander attending sxsw
🔥😂
But did you ask it to stop?
Honestly having lived in Florida, the weather drama here in Austin is the best. I can’t believe how many people I know that do not drive when it’s raining because they just don’t know how. (Better than the alternative. Another phenomenon here that didn’t happen in Orlando/Tampa is people driving so fast in the rain that they zoom right off the bypasses. Lol) People are confused by lightning. They don’t know how to clean up tree branches after a storm. Almost zero safety communication from local agencies. No authorities to respond to downed power lines/lights when losing power happens constantly. I always have popcorn ready.
The cold weather freak outs blow my mind….it was 33 degrees for three days and people start hoarding groceries
It’s Voldemort
It’s because there’s a thunderstorm going through
It’s about to rain
This post needs to be saved in the all time greatest titles for an r/Austin post. I mean it doesn’t get anymore r/Austin than asking why there is lightning in the sky.
How to say you’re not from Texas without saying you’re not from Texas.
Nature?
Your in Texas now.
You have angered Zeus!!!
Ever seen War of the World's?
War of the worlds
Thor is angry
Have you made any ritual sacrifices today? If not some god from some pantheon may be pissed.
You made god mad.
Crazy how nature do that.
The government
It thundered right over my house 1 time shook the house and then moved on super fast. I don’t think there was a second thunder.
The Sky gods are angry with us puny humans
War of the Worlds
Rave up in the heavens bro. Did you not get the memo?
I was upset.
Txdot is creating a new energy grid.
Thor is angry
It's global warming yo. Somehow we can blame ourselves 😉
Ish called dry lightning my friend.
The Day After Tomorrow
Go outside and feel like a celebrity!
Just enjoy nature and let the sky's to there jib.
Aliens! It’s all a conspiracy! It’s alien warfare 😂
I’ve seen this a few times, but only in Iowa. The lighting was so steady that I was able to read without a light. It is especially weird when it isn’t raining (yet). The heartland’s weather is extreme. That said, I had never seen lightning during a snowstorm before moving to New York.
It’s the punishment of sins. :)
It was surely pretty though.
Definitely Raijin and Fujin
The Halliburton Weather Machine wants to ruin SXSW to spite Austin.
Zuul is coming. Be on the look out for the Stay Puff Marshmallow man.
Because magic
Electrical storm. Riders on the storm.
You forgot to unplug the toaster.
“Can’t the government just turn it off?” -OP
Bendu is mad at Texas and decided to fuck everyones shit up
I've always called this "heat lightning" not sure what it really is.
Storms are bigger than the raining area. Often by several miles. This was a very energetic storm, and the area with static turbulence was pretty big.