Abstract
Lightning morphology during thundersnow storms is not fully understood due to the infrequent occurrence and lack of lightning sensing equipment capable of detecting total lightning. This is especially true for thundersnow due to its infrequent occurrence. While all thunderstorms by definition contain lightning, the dynamics of thundersnow storms differ greatly from most convective thunderstorms due to inertial instability. The dynamics can be investigated by evaluation of frontogentical forcing and equivalent potential vorticity (EPV). Previous studies reveal that cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning is rarely the first type of lightning observed, highlighting the importance of total lightning detection, but it remains unknown if this applies to lightning within mesoscale snow bands. Existing lightning detection through the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) only reliably recognizes cloud-to-ground strikes, with the exception of a few sparsely located Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) systems. The LMA employs very high frequency (VHF) and Global Positioning System Time-of-Arrival (GPS-TOA) signals to determine latitude, longitude, altitude, and time of a lightning strike. A case study that includes observed data from the Washington, DC, LMA and Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) model output from 5-6 February 2010 has been analyzed in order to gain an improved understanding of how lightning progresses through time in convective snowstorms. The LMA data serves as a proxy for total lightning which will soon be available through emerging satellite technology. With the upcoming launch of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite–R Series (GOES-R), total lightning detection will be available for thunderstorm activity across the United States and surrounding waters, drastically increasing the current lightning spatial coverage. In order for forecasters to become familiar with the total lightning product, proxy data from a ground-based experimental network and the current ground-based lightning detection network can be used with similar results when combined. This research operationally demonstrates the benefits of the emerging satellite technology of total lightning detection in that ground-based lightning data will be used to investigate the rarely occurring phenomenon of mesoscale banded thundersnow.