Weather Tidbits: The Truth Behind “Heat Lightning”

We’ll be discussing the truth behind heat lightning in this edition of weather tidbits. Heat lightning is commonly used to describe lightning from a distant thunderstorm that is just too far away to see the actual cloud-to-ground flash or to hear the accompanying thunder. While many people incorrectly think that heat lightning is a specific type of lightning, it is simply the light produced by a distant thunderstorm. The sound of thunder can only travel about 10 miles from the lightning strike. So, if someone is around that distance or more from the lightning, they will likely not hear the clap of thunder and may incorrectly label the lightning as heat lightning. Seeing lightning from this distance is easiest at night, which is when most people will experience this. Mostly commonly during a warm and muggy summer night.