Dry thunderstorm

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 deserts 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 storms and wildfires. Dust storms can happen because the dry soil and sand are picked up by strong winds.^[1] Wildfires can happen because the lightning can hit trees and there is no rain to put out the fires.^[2]

References

1. "Dust Storms Across the Southwest During the late autumn". Archived from the original on 2008-08-03. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
2. Dry lightning and dry thunderstorms cause the majority of wildfires in the Western US - including California fires.^{[permanent dead link]}