What is Dry thunderstorm?
[[File:Cloud to ground lightning strikes south-west of Wagga Wagga.jpg|thumb|Cloud-to-ground lightning during a dry thunderstorm.]] A '''dry thunderstorm''' is a type of [[thunderstorm]] where there is [[lightning]] and [[thunder]], but most or all of the [[precipitation]] does not reach the ground. They usually happen in [[desert]]s or areas with low [[water vapor]]. Because dry air usually absorbs liquid water, the rain is absorbed before it reaches the ground. They happen a lot during the summer months in western North America. Dry thunderstorms are dangerous because they can cause [[dust storm]]s and [[wildfire]]s. Dust storms can happen because the dry soil and sand are picked up by strong winds.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/swww/v8n2/Wxbul8.2.8.htm |title=Dust Storms Across the Southwest During the late autumn |access-date=2013-10-29 |archive-date=2008-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803065021/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/swww/v8n2/Wxbul8.2.8.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Wildfires can happen because the lightning can hit trees and there is no rain to put out the fires.<ref>[http://www.californiagreensolutions.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=2241 Dry lightning and dry thunderstorms cause the majority of wildfires in the Western US - including California fires.]{{Dead link|date=March 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{weather-stub}} [[Category:Severe weather]]