A "very rare" event happened in northern Idaho on Sunday night when at least a dozen lightning strikes hit the region during a winter storm.
Why It Matters
Idaho and many other states in the northwestern U.S. are being impacted by an atmospheric river moving east across the region. The weather impacts include strong winds, heavy rain, high-elevation snow, and, in some cases, thunderstorms.
National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists anticipate the storm's impacts will continue through Tuesday.
What To Know
Atmospheric rivers are a "long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Though the heavy rain and snow associated with such storms can help alleviate drought, they also cause concern about flooding and mudslides. The storms are also known for their strong, damaging winds.
The current storm is ushering in warm air, contributing to the lightning that struck northern Idaho on Sunday night.
Despite the number of lightning strikes, NWS meteorologist Steve Bodnar told Newsweek that "it is very rare to have lightning in February" in Idaho.
Bodnar said that more lightning strikes could hit the region on Monday, with another line of showers and thunderstorms expected to arrive late afternoon and early evening.
Some of the incoming storms could "produce localized damaging wind gusts around 50 mph," he said. Flooding is also a concern amid the ongoing rain and snowmelt from warmer temperatures.
The lightning strikes also prompted meteorologists at the NWS office in Missoula, Montana, to post a warning on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday night.
What People Are Saying
NWS meteorologist Steve Bodnar told Newsweek: "We have the warmer weather with the atmospheric river coming through, and the lower levels remain pretty warm. Yesterday evening, we had an upper-level trough with cooler air in the upper levels of the atmosphere, and when you put that combination together, it creates instability, which is why we were getting showers, some ice pellets, and...lightning strikes."
NWS Missoula, Sunday night on X: "75% chance for Lightning in the next 30 minutes in the Heron and Bull Lake areas. More than a dozen lightning flashes have been recorded in northern Idaho...in February!"
What Happens Next
The NWS said that impacts from the atmospheric river are expected to move out of the region by Tuesday night.
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