Have you heard the old weather folklore saying that thunder in winter means snow will follow in seven to 10 days?

Parts of North Carolina may hear thunder Sunday and Sunday night, and there are parts of the state that will see snow into Monday morning.


What You Need To Know

  • Thunder in winter typically means we are in an active weather pattern

  • That does not often mean snow will soon follow though

  • An analysis of climate data from several years ago by the State Climate Office shows snow follows thunder within ten days only about 13% of the time

However, the science behind meteorology does not always match up to that old weather saying.

Thunder in winter typically means we are in an active weather pattern like this weekend. 

If cold air eventually meets up with that active weather pattern, snow could fall.

Most of the time that does not happen in North Carolina though.

Several years ago, the State Climate Office reviewed weather records dating back to the 1940s for several locations in the state, including Asheville, Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Hatteras.

They found 642 days between the first of December and the end of February when lightning or thunder occurred. Snow fell 85 times within ten days of those 642 times. That's only 13% of the time.