Lightning and no thunder

[Limited-Time]

I know I could just Google this but does any one know the distance thunder travels before the sound dies out. I sat on back deck last night a watched a lightning show and never heard any thunder.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

Drove through a thunderstorm on the way home from vacation on Friday night with WICKED lightning and I kept expecting real loud thunder and heard none. It was weird.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

LT, around here, we call that heat lightning. It is lightning that jumps from cloud to cloud vs from the clouds to the ground. From what I have learned, the boom from thunder is actually the electrically charged bolt shooting through the air so fast it is breaking the sound barrier.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

It was cloud to cloud, but you could clearly see the jagged streaks/bolts of lightning. The same type of bolts you see hitting the ground. As for the sound it's my understanding the lightning's heat causes a rapid expansion of the surrounding air. This expansion creates a "sonic" air wave which is the sound we call thunder. So I can't see it mattering whether the lightning hits the ground or stays in the air............... it should still make the sound. Or is this like the tree falling in the forest??????

 

[drrpm]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

It is like the tree falling in the forest. It makes a sound but you're too far away to hear it. I believe that if you see lightening but hear no thunder its at least 10 miles away.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

I always thought that was from lightning that never touched down, and the thunder was the sound of it hitting ground.

 

[rbh]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

Heard something about the sound thunder makes, if it goes boom it going away from you if it goes crack its coming towards you, something about the dopler effect????

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

Was your hearing aid turned on?

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Lightning and no thunder

Once you see the flash of lighting..
Start counting in seconds..
Each second = 0.217 of a mile

10 second count will equal 2.17 miles away

something about the speed of sound being @ 1,150 fps