That’s Bizarre! The Craziest, Uncommon Weather Phenomenon

My Top 3

Bad weather has been the cause of death, destruction and mayhem since the beginning of time. It is an ever changing constant in our lives. It is amazing and terrifying, mysterious and mystifying. The one true thing about weather we can surely count on is its unpredictability.

Below are 16 weather facts about weather that may surprise you…

Courtesy of flicker.com/advanced By Allspice1

1. The speed of which lightning travels is around one hundred million feet per second or seventy million MPH.
2. While lightning can go in any direction including side ways, the lightning we usually see looks like it comes down to strike the ground but, it actually travels from the ground up.
3. When powerful lightning hits the ground it is hot enough to melt sand turning it to a glass-like substance. This substance is called fulgerite and is known as fossilized lightning.
4. The heat of a lightning bolt is five times hotter than the surface of the sun. The sun’s surface is 6,000 degrees centigrade.
5. Women are six time less likely to be struck by lightning than men. While no one knows for sure why this is, the reason could be that men are often taller and more likely to work outdoors.
6. The Oak tree is struck more often by lightning than other trees. One Oak tree needs 300 to 500 gallons of water a day. That and the fact that lightning hits trees whose crowns hold more branches such as the Oak tree, seems to be the only explanation.
7. A “bolt from the blue” phenomenon is when a lightening bolt jumps from its parent or anvil cloud sitting above a thunder storm. The bolt can travel up to 25 miles on a clear day carrying a positive energy charge ten times that of a regular thunder bolt. “Bolt from the blue” lightning is also called “positive lightening” because normally caused lightning usually carries a negative charge.
8. Astraphobia is the fear of lightning and keraunopathology is the study of lightning.
9. The hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone spin counterclockwise if they are north of the equator and spin the opposite way when south of the equator.
10. The word hurricane is derived from the West Indian God of storms whose name was Hurricane.
11. Dirty snow melts faster than clean snow. Dirty snow contains dirt particles that absorb heat from the sun causing it to melt faster.
12. When it contains ice crystals, a heavy winter fog is called a Pogonip. The name Pogonip is the Shoshone word for cloud.
13. Red maple, silver maple, and poplar trees show the backs of their leaves during low air pressure just before it rains.
14. The channel of electrical current from a lightning bolt is much smaller than we think. It is only about as big around as a pencil.
15. Lightning can, and has, struck people sitting on the toilet.
16. Snow is actually colorless ice flakes. When light reflects off the icy crystals, the reflection makes it look white.

Bonus Fact:

If you are struck by lightning, the heat will dry the sweat on your feet so quickly that it can cause the air between your skin and socks to expand. This expansion happens rapidly and is strong enough to blow your shoes and socks off your feet.