National Severe Storm Preparedness Week on March, 2025: What would happen if a thunderstorm were to suddenly enter freezing air?

National Severe Storm Preparedness Week 2025. Emergency Preparedness Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed and Get Involved.

This is definitely impossible based on the way thunderstorms form, but theoretically you would just get thundersnow! You'd see the lightening and the winds, but instead of a lot of rain or hail, you'd just get snow.

And thundersnow is something that does exist. In fact, less than a week ago, a place in Montana was basically under a thunderstorm warning, the only difference being that it was SNOW instead of rain!! Here's that special weather statement from the National Weather Service....

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT

332 PM MST SUN MAR 3 2013

MTC003-032245-

/O.CON.KBYZ.SV.W.0001.000000T0000Z-130303T2245Z/

BIG HORN MT-

332 PM MST SUN MAR 3 2013

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM MST

FOR NORTH CENTRAL BIG HORN COUNTY...

AT 323 PM MST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE

THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60

MPH. THESE STORM WERE LOCATED NEAR HARDIN...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO THE WINDS...THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY

SNOW WHICH WILL CAUSE NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...

HARDIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES

PER HOUR...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION

MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR

BUSINESS.

It's rare but when it does happen, it is awesome!

My family is in Cancun, their hotel is right on the beach....?

No, it's on the coast! Tell them to move in land as quickly as possible, or catch the first flight out if they can. If they choose not to leave, then at least tell them to register with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City or the Consulate in Merida (near Cancun).

Here's the latest announcement from the US State Dept:

This Public Announcement is being issued to inform U.S. citizens of Hurricane Dean, which is expected to make landfall on Monday, August 20 somewhere between Cancun and Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The hurricane’s current track shows that it may pass near Merida, Yucatan on Tuesday, August 21, then veer north towards Matamoros. The Department of State has authorized dependents and non-emergency personnel in Merida and Matamoros to relocate temporarily to Mexico City. This Public Announcement expires on August 31, 2007.

As of the afternoon of August 17, Hurricane Dean had crossed over the Lesser Antilles and was a category 3 hurricane with sustained winds near 125 mph. There are hurricane warnings and watches throughout the region.

The state government of Quintana Roo has issued a green alert, indicating that the current danger level is low. Yucatan State has issued a blue alert, indicating that the current danger level is minimal. The storm could pose the danger of flooding if it reaches the Tamaulipas region.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that Hurricane Dean will pass south of Puerto Rico and approach the southern regions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, moving towards Jamaica, the southern coast of Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Providing accurate storm models at this time is difficult, and the trajectory and velocity of the storm can change at any time.

The Department of State recommends that the U.S. citizens in Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Campeche prepare themselves for the possibility of the hurricane’s landfall in those regions. Citizens should identify their local shelter, monitor local media reports, and follow the instructions of local emergency officials. In some areas, adequate shelter from a severe hurricane may not be available to all who may choose to stay. Visitors should review and follow their hotel or cruise ship evacuation plans.

U.S. citizens also should carry their travel documents at all times (i.e. U.S. Passport, Birth Certificate, picture ID’s, etc.) or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. We also suggest that American citizens contact friends and family in the United States with updates about their whereabouts.

Citizens should know that flights in and out of the area may be suspended at any time, depending on alerts from the Mexican government. Scheduled flights may fill quickly and flight delays may occur. Travelers should contact airlines for the latest updates if they are planning to travel within the next week. The storm also could affect access to sea ports similarly.

For the most-up-to-date information on Hurricane Dean, please visit The National Hurricane Center’s website at .

The Mexican government uses a color-coded system of alerts proceeding from blue (minimal danger) to green (low danger) to yellow (moderate danger) to orange (high danger) to red (maximum danger level). To learn more about this system, visit .

To check the current alert level in Quintana Roo, U.S. citizens should visit the local government’s website at . Click on “Aviso de Sistema Tropical” for information about the storm.

To check the current alert level in Yucatan State, visit . These Mexican websites are printed in Spanish.

Further information on hurricanes and hurricane preparedness is available on the State Department’s website. Check the following links below:

The U.S. Consulate in Merida, Yucatan services the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Campeche. The Consulate remains open for business but could suspend operations at any time as the hurricane approaches. The ability of the Consulate to provide assistance after the hurricane may be limited by communications disruptions and by conditions on the ground.

The Consulate can be reached during its regular business hours (M-F, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) by telephone at 999-942-5700; by fax at 999-942-5777; and by email at meridacons@state.gov. After hours, a duty officer can be reached by calling the Consulate’s main number.

The Consulate maintains Consular Agencies in Cancun, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen. Contact information for those offices is below:

Cancun: (tel) 998-883-0272 / (fax) 998-883-1373

Cozumel: (tel) 987-872-4574 / (fax) 987-872-6662

Playa del Carmen: (tel) 984-873-0303 / (fax) 984-873-0481

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City will maintain its business hours (M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). You can reach the Embassy by telephone at (01-55)5080-2000; by fax at (01-55) 5525-5040; and by email at ccs@usembassy.net.mx.

In addition, U.S. citizens planning to travel to the Mexico or the Caribbean should consult the Department of State's country-specific Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement and other information, available on the Consular Affairs Internet website at . Up-to-date information on security conditions can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. and Canada and, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.