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Monday, September 3, 2007

Lightning Storm

posted by on September 3 at 23:05 PM

Either that or it’s the world’s biggest photo shoot. I’ve been watching the flashes for the last five minutes at least—just happened again, did you see that!? It’s getting stonger and stronger. If you’re on Capitol Hill, look toward the skyline. Best of all, it’s silent.

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1

I was wondering why my lights kept flickering. Thanks for the heads up.

My rooftop patio sure comes in handy sometimes... nice show. I just hope it stays quiet for my beddy-bye time.

Posted by The General | September 3, 2007 11:27 PM
2

It's coming in from the north - very dramatic and persistent. The fact that we're not hearing any thunder is strange.

Posted by joshuuuua | September 3, 2007 11:47 PM
3

I'm in Issaquah, and it's unreal-- and VERY loud. I've never seen so much lightning, and so close together. Absolutely gorgeous and awe-inspiring.

Posted by Jessica | September 3, 2007 11:50 PM
4

its starting to get louder in greenlake. Who knew there were this amny late night sloggers?

Posted by wisepunk | September 3, 2007 11:51 PM
5

Lotsa rain and just a little thunder here in W Redmond.

Posted by calvin | September 4, 2007 12:03 AM
6

Rats, my curtains are drawn so I didn't see anything, but the thunder was cool!

Posted by genevieve | September 4, 2007 12:09 AM
7

You can hear the thunder in Magnolia but it's more than five seconds after the lightning. Rained hard for at least 20 minutes.


Posted by K X One | September 4, 2007 12:17 AM
8

Living here in the Pacific Northwest for four years now, I really only miss three things about Minnesota: my mom, real winters (which we kind of got last year), and thunderstorms. Tonight was a rare gift from the weather gods.

Posted by Big Sven | September 4, 2007 12:27 AM
9

Here in Ballard, it's quite spectacular. Was watching it on top of Queen Anne hill when the clouds decided to drop a shiatload of rain directly on us.

I've not seen something like this in quite a few years...

Posted by kaorin | September 4, 2007 12:40 AM
10

wu-tang brought the storm.

Posted by jz | September 4, 2007 1:22 AM
11

I'm in Queen Anne. I heard thunder accompany the lightning as I sat outside, it was nice.

Posted by Philthy | September 4, 2007 1:52 AM
12

#8
Gift, Curse, it's all a matter of perspective. I myself miss the california weather. I'm a pussy, I know.

Posted by brandon h | September 4, 2007 2:10 AM
13

@8: Yeah, I've spent a fair amount of time in the midwest, and whenever we have a thunderstorm I think about how it pales in comparison to THOSE storms. :)

Fremont had the silent strobe-light thing going on. It was weird. And nice.

Posted by violet_dagrinder | September 4, 2007 6:39 AM
14

@12 Hey, to each his own.  I moved to Seattle to get away from California weather.

I'm bummed that I missed such a rare treat, but there was a pretty excellent lightning storm here in Tōkyō a few nights ago, so I can't complain.

Posted by lostboy | September 4, 2007 7:11 AM
15

North Capitol Hill got thunder for sure. I was excited at first, then I thought maybe it was just someone moving their garbage cans around outside, and then I realized that it was actually thunder! And I got excited again!

Posted by Katelyn | September 4, 2007 7:31 AM
16

Mighty insignificant and inconsequential as thunderstorms go, at least to this Northeasterner.

After six-plus years here, I still find it strange (and a bit sad) that even a single flash of lightning merits oohs and aahs in Seattle. I wonder how many days of school kids would miss if we had an actual gully-washer here.

Note also that substituting snow flurry for thunderstorm, flake of snow for flash of lighning, and snowstorm for gully-washer also works.

Posted by N in Seattle | September 4, 2007 7:40 AM
17

From Montana here and I have yet to see anything in Seattle that can be called winter. You guys have this weird extended Fall/Spring that goes on for 8 months. Which is going to be starting in a few more weeks!!!

The lightning was nice until our power went out in Wedgewood last night.

Posted by Just Me | September 4, 2007 7:48 AM
18

check out the photo someone posted here.
http://www.westseattleblog.com
UNREAL!!!!

Posted by whoa | September 4, 2007 8:00 AM
19

Why "UNREAL"? Enough people point enough cameras at a thunder cloud, and at least one will capture lightning in mid-bolt. Seems very real to me.

Yes, it's quite unusual to have multiple lightning flashes in Seattle. In a place with actual weather, last night's flashes would hardly merit a glance. BFD...

Posted by N in Seattle | September 4, 2007 9:07 AM
20

The West Coast south of the PacNW gets many more thunderstorms, but (mostly) silent electric storms are very rare on the West Coast in general, so it's not unwarranted for this to be freaky to those who grew up on the West Coast.

Posted by matthew fisher wilder | September 4, 2007 9:23 AM
21

Oooh, Weather bravado! Throw down. Now we're showin' it off!

Posted by matthew fisher wilder | September 4, 2007 9:31 AM
22

N: Step off before I gully wash your asshole inside out.

Posted by fred | September 4, 2007 10:37 AM
23

Can anyone explain/provide a link to an explanation on how lightning storms can be silent? I'm from California and don't know anything about weather etc.

Posted by S | September 4, 2007 10:58 AM
24
Can anyone explain/provide a link to an explanation on how lightning storms can be silent? I'm from California and don't know anything about weather etc.

Here's the definition of heat lightning from the American Meteorological Society. Basically, it's lightning reflected off distant clouds. Another weather phenomenon that's very well known and unremarkable elsewhere, but amazing to Seattlites.

Posted by N in Seattle | September 4, 2007 12:13 PM
25

That older, Viet Nam vet guy I worked with when I was but a New England landscaping youth, the guy with the metal plate instead of skull in his forehead, who freaked the fuck out at any sign of lightning and locked himself in the truck and wouldn't come out. Yeah, I thought about him.

Eight pack of ponies for lunch just about every day, too.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | September 4, 2007 12:52 PM
26

Christ. That's what it was?! Here, I was thinking that I had smoked too much green and was experience some serious paranoia.

True story.

Posted by GW2 | September 4, 2007 2:19 PM
27

Thanks, N.

Posted by S | September 4, 2007 11:36 PM

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