It flickers in the distance on warm summer nights; a silent light show on the dark horizon.
Like me, you probably learned at an early age that this is "heat lightning," a special type of weather phenomenon.
Like me, you learned wrong.
There is no such thing as heat lightning, at least not to the extent that it's some different or special type of lightning.
What we were taught was heat lightning is actually just ordinary lightning. We don't hear the thunder associated with it because the storm generating it is so far away.
The tops of powerful thunderstorms can extend over 50,000 feet (around 10 miles) into the sky. Lightning occurring in clouds at this height can be seen over 125 miles away. Meanwhile, thunder usually isn't heard more than 15-25 miles away. (Not only does light travel faster than sound, it travels farther, too.)
The term 'heat lightning' probably developed because the only time this distant, silent phenomenon is observed is on warm summer nights when people are outside long after the sun goes down.
Craig is a meteorologist who was born and raised in Pewaukee. After getting a degree in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he worked over 20 years on TV and radio in Milwaukee, Madison, Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri.
Craig spends most of his time trying to keep up with his bride and their three teenage daughters. Any time left over is spent with his other beloveds, the Packers, Brewers and Badgers.
