GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Did you hear the thunder? Perhaps saw a flash of lightning? Thundersnow occurred across West Michigan Wednesday night.

Unlike typical thunderstorms, thundersnow happens when moderate to heavy snow is falling instead of rain. Thundersnow is considered rare and only occurs in intense snow storms.

Like any good thunderstorm, thundersnow needs instability, warm air and lift to occur. A strong cold front peeled over a fairly warm Lake Michigan, resulting in a strong snow squall. The instability was quite high and that caused a few flashes of lightning.

Thundersnow typically looks and sounds a bit different than a normal thunderstorm. The thunder tends to be a bit more muffled and cannot be heard from far distances. The lightning, on the other hand, tends to be brighter as the snow crystals reflect the light.