Yes, that was thunder in Charlotte early Tuesday. But why was it so loud?
Many Charlotteans reported being shaken from their sleep early Tuesday because of an extraordinarily loud boom.
Good news: Despite all apocalyptic theories, the noise was only thunder.
The boom reportedly shook homes around 2 a.m., and moments after, it appeared to sleet and/or hail. Unlucky residents who suddenly found it hard to go back to sleep were left with one question: Why was the thunder so loud?
Hey @JimCantore check this out...Listen for it! Security cam video of rain-sleet-snow band that crossed #CLT Metro area this morning, loud clap of thunder woke up Chuck Cole & a lot of other folks! pic.twitter.com/04UuLVe0bc
— Al Conklin WBTV (@AlConklin) January 30, 2018
Turns out the likely explanation has to do with air temperature.
A temperature inversion was in place, which occurs when surface temperature is cooler than the air above it, according to the national weather service. An overnight temperature inversion is normal, according to weather service meteorologist Andrew Kimball.
What isn’t normal, he said, is thunder.
During a temperature inversion, Kimball said, showers don’t normally produce enough instability to cause thunder. But when they do, sound is essentially trapped near the ground and amplified.
So no, that wasn’t an alien invasion last night, and the city wasn’t blowing up. It was only thunder. Creepy, sleep-disrupting thunder.
There was just the craziest flash of light and the absolute loudest sound I've ever heard (like woke me from a deep sleep loud) in Charlotte and I don't know whether it's thunder, whether we've all been abducted by aliens together or whether something imploded.
— Marissa (@sufficientcynic) January 30, 2018
Was that thunder? It sounded like the City was blowing up.
— Jenny Vallimont (@JennyVallimont) January 30, 2018
So first I hear a big boom of thunder that wakes me from my sleep and now it's hailing outside????
— Deven Ginyard (@DevenGinyard) January 30, 2018
Loudest thunder I’ve ever heard. Shook me out of my sleep and then it started pouring snow.
— Shaun Donithan (@ShaunDonphotog) January 30, 2018
Anyone else just wake up to the loudest hail storm and thunder in history? #cltwx
— Beth Booker (@bethgbooks) January 30, 2018
Omg the thunder I just heard
— Gert (@WTFGARRETT) January 30, 2018
That thunder legit just shook the house and woke me up
— A. (@whatupallie) January 30, 2018
This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Yes, that was thunder in Charlotte early Tuesday. But why was it so loud?."