A Lightning Bolt In Oklahoma Was Almost 200 Miles Long

A lightning bolt extends far outside a thunderstorm
in Darwin, Australia in 2015. This is impressive but
nothing compared to the nearly 200 mile long
lightning bolt in Oklahoma back in 2007

We know that lightning doesn't stay neatly inside thunderstorms.

Conventional wisdom is that lightning can hit the ground 20 miles or more from the storm, so even if you just hear thunder in the distance, you're close enough to get struck by lightning. 

However, this latest bit of news is ridiculous. Researchers said a new record was set back in 2007 for the longest lightning bolt ever seen.

It extended nearly 200 miles from around Tulsa, Oklahoma all the way west to that state's panhandle, says the World Meteorological Organization. Lightning detectors on the ground tracked the bolt.

This particular bolt of lightning was dangerous, as all lightning is. This one was just more so. It originated about six miles above Tulsa and hit the ground several times on its extension out to the plains of western Oklahoma, reports the Tulsa World.

Such long lightning strikes might have us rethinking what is generally called the 30/30 rule. That rule is if you see a lightning bolt, start counting off 30 seconds. If it takes longer than 30 seconds to hear the thunder, it's generally safe to stay outside. If it's less than 30 seconds, time to head indoors.

"These kinds of rules need to be looked at. It's going to depend on the kind of thunderstorm....You really need to know where it (lightning is occurring. There could be a lower risk - the lower the flash rate - but it's not no risk," said Timothy Lang, a researcher at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, according to the Tulsa World.

Thunderstorms are rattling around Oklahoma today. Let's hope they don't get any lightning strikes like the one in 2007!

Meanwhile, another lightning record was discovered in France - the world's longest lasting lightning bolt. Researchers said the French bolt in 2012 doubled back on itself, helping it last a whopping 7.74 seconds. Lightning bolts usually last about a second.







Timothy Lang, a researcher at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama


"These kinds of rules need to be looked at. It's going to depend on the kind of thunderstorm," Lang said. "You really need to know where it (lightning) is occurring. There could be a lower risk — the lower the flash rate — but it's not 'no-risk.'"




The epic lightning bolt hit during a day of crappy weather over eastern Oklahoma on June 20, 2007.  A big complex of thunderstorms formed, causing a lot of wind, rain, and a tornado or two that caused a bit of damage to some homes.

If You Thought New England Snow Was Bad, Try Eight Feet In One Day In Italy

Clearing more than eight feet of snow in
Capracotta, Italy last week. How
would you like to shovel that?  

It's going to snow in New England again this weekend.

Yay! As if the region needs it.

The heaviest snow will come down in the higher elevations of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, where anywhere from four to 10 inches could accumulate.

In the valleys, and in southern New England, the storm will start off Saturday with a cold rain, possibly mixed with sleet or freezing rain for a couple hours at the onset. It'll gradually change to snow Saturday night.

Boston needs a little less than two inches of snow to break its all time record for snowiest winter, but I don't think it's going to do it with this storm. It's possible enough snow could fall there Sunday, but it is iffy.

The National Weather Service in Burlington, Vermont is considering putting up winter weather advisories for the mid and high elevations of the state Saturday night and Sunday.

The National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine might be tempted to hoist winter storm watches for part of that state later today to go into effect over the weekend.

If you're in New England and can't stand the thought of more snow, it could be worse.

Last week, an Italian town called Capracotta reported received nearly eight and a half feet of new snow in just 18 hours or so.

If that's true, it would break the world's record for the most snow within 24 hours. The current generally accepted world's record is 90.6 inches in a day on Mount Ibuki, Japan on February 14, 1927.

The United States record for 24-hour snow is 76 inches at Silver Lake, Colorado in April, 1921.

The Capracotta snow measurements will have to be verified for accuracy, probably by the World Meteorological Organization. 

As the Washington Post Capital Weather Gang notes, we may never really know if this weeks Capracotta snow is the world record.

It's hard to measure snow, as it drifts, compacts and melts. Also, different nations have different standards on how to measure snow. Do you wait until the storm ends, then measure it? Or do you have, as we do in the United States, guidelines that have you measure an area every six hours, wipe it clean and start over, until you geta storm total?

With the different ways of measuring, you get different amounts of snow compaction, so it's hard to say really how much fell.

One thing I can say for sure. Nobody in New England will get eight feet of new snow this weekend

That, my friends, is a promise.

Below is a video slide show of the scene in Capracotta this week: