Hi All,

I live in southern california (arid subtropical) and every so often we
have a warm dry windstorm called the "Santa Ana Winds". These wind
always occur in warm dry weather that is completely cloudless, but can
contain a lot of dust. The environment is usually fairly prone to
static. You can get great shocks off old rugs and put on your own
little firework shows under blankets. A couple years ago we had a
particularly powerful one. I believe, the sustained winds were about
30mph with gusts into the 50's. I was up on a hill, enjoying the gales,
when I saw a studdered flash that lit up the inland sky. I saw no bolt,
but the brevity and color seemed just like the kind you see with
lightening. Over the next hour I saw about a half-dozen other flashes.
I never saw a bolt and they were dimmer than the regular way that
lightening lights up a sky, but they were further away and I figure
without clouds there was less to scatter the light. I never heard any
thunder, but the wind was noisy and blowing in the wrong direction. I
have never seen anything like it before or since, except maybe during
one other windstorm (but that could have been my imagination).

So I put forward the question, what do you think this was? Could the
dust in the wind generated enough charge to cause a strike or some
diffuse static discharge? Have any phenomena like this been described?
I did a rather extensive google search and all I saw blamed "dry
lightening" on far away thunderstorms, which I just don't think was a
possibility in this case. We don't get thunderstorms around here and it
was very dry and cloudless all over southern california.
direct replies welcome.

Thanks,

Michael

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi All,

I live in southern california (arid subtropical) and every so often we
have a warm dry windstorm called the "Santa Ana Winds". These wind
always occur in warm dry weather that is completely cloudless, but can
contain a lot of dust. The environment is usually fairly prone to
static. You can get great shocks off old rugs and put on your own
little firework shows under blankets. A couple years ago we had a
particularly powerful one. I believe, the sustained winds were about
30mph with gusts into the 50's. I was up on a hill, enjoying the gales,
when I saw a studdered flash that lit up the inland sky. I saw no bolt,
but the brevity and color seemed just like the kind you see with
lightening. Over the next hour I saw about a half-dozen other flashes.
I never saw a bolt and they were dimmer than the regular way that
lightening lights up a sky, but they were further away and I figure
without clouds there was less to scatter the light. I never heard any
thunder, but the wind was noisy and blowing in the wrong direction. I
have never seen anything like it before or since, except maybe during
one other windstorm (but that could have been my imagination).

So I put forward the question, what do you think this was? Could the
dust in the wind generated enough charge to cause a strike or some
diffuse static discharge? Have any phenomena like this been described?
I did a rather extensive google search and all I saw blamed "dry
lightening" on far away thunderstorms, which I just don't think was a
possibility in this case. We don't get thunderstorms around here and it
was very dry and cloudless all over southern california.
direct replies welcome.


The phenomenon you describe results from 'charge separation' and is
frequently observed during volcanic eruptions and forest fires.
In this case, dust holds the charge. In a thunderstorm, ice crystals
perform the same role.

TQ wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
A couple years ago we had a
particularly powerful one. I believe, the sustained winds were about
30mph with gusts into the 50's. I was up on a hill, enjoying the
gales, when I saw a studdered flash that lit up the inland sky. I
saw no bolt, but the brevity and color seemed just like the kind you
see with lightening. Over the next hour I saw about a half-dozen
other flashes. I never saw a bolt and they were dimmer than the
regular way that lightening lights up a sky, but they were further
away and I figure without clouds there was less to scatter the
light. I never heard any thunder, but the wind was noisy and blowing
in the wrong direction. I have never seen anything like it before or
since, except maybe during one other windstorm (but that could have
been my imagination).

The phenomenon you describe results from 'charge separation' and is
frequently observed during volcanic eruptions and forest fires.
In this case, dust holds the charge. In a thunderstorm, ice crystals
perform the same role.

Another possibility is that Michael might have been seeing the arcing
from powerlines being damaged by the wind storm.

I have heard of this dry lightning during the dust-bowl years and how it
would kill plants folks had managed to nuture along in their gardens. PBS
had a special on it several years ago with eye wittness accounts. Never seen
it though.


David Salmon
dba Weather Derivatives, deriving useful information
for your business from weather data
816-331-9079

"Bob Harrington" wrote in message


Another possibility is that Michael might have been seeing the arcing
from powerlines being damaged by the wind storm.

It is always good to be sceptical Robert* but wouldn't the state have
got wise to Santa Annas and power lines by now?

I just cross posted a message to here about superlightning:

************************************************** **

"David" wrote in message


"Michael Mcneil" wrote:

It is not so much strange as interesting that A-L-M-O-S-T every quake
since the big one has been in the area devastated.

Aftershock in Northern CA?? [blink]

We seem to have entered the right trouser of time here in the UK.

Anyone else getting tornadic thunderstorms? Check out what is on the web
about positive lightning, superlightning, elves and sprites.

************************************************** **

We should be looking at a change of longitude for the next series of
disasters.

This one is over the Great Plains and ...well ....actually, the Indian
sub continent. Damn. I am sorry about that:
26th DEC. 15:06

This one should bring peace; -overcast at least. I hope:
3rd JAN. 17:46
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html#y2005

************************************************** ***

*Are you the bloke who wrote that you'd only believe me if it was warm
in Seattle this winter, some time back, just before Mt St Helens got
shirty?


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Michael Mcneil" wrote in message
news:8efeba0bea3fcfa803fe2a2cd643d06b.45219@mygate .mailgate.org

I just cross posted a message to here about superlightning. I think that
there is something in the air about the OP that would pay dividends
looking at that phenomenon.....

.......I meant to say.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Michael Mcneil wrote:
"Bob Harrington" wrote in message


Another possibility is that Michael might have been seeing the arcing
from powerlines being damaged by the wind storm.

It is always good to be sceptical Robert* but wouldn't the state have
got wise to Santa Annas and power lines by now?

You'd think - but we ~are~ talking California here... ;^)

*Are you the bloke who wrote that you'd only believe me if it was warm
in Seattle this winter, some time back, just before Mt St Helens got
shirty?

Probably me, though darned if I remember much about it... bobheimers,
dontchaknow.

As it is, we are running a tad dry in Seattle of late, but temps are
pretty close to normal or a bit below. No snow yet, but maybe next week
if we play our cards right.

Mount St. Helens has mostly been busy oozing out a humongous new lava
dome, with virtually no ash emissions since early in the eruption
sequence. Volcanic gas emissions are also not overly spectacular and,
with the stormy season, certainly don't hang about for long.

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Images/MSH04/

Bob ^,,^