Lake-effect snowstorms in northern Utah and western New York with and without lightning

Lake-effect snowstorms in northern Utah and western New York with and witho ut lightning/thunder are examined. Lake-effect snowstorms with lightning ha ve significantly higher temperatures and dewpoints in the lower troposphere and significantly lower lifted indices than lake-effect snowstorms without lightning. In contrast, there is little difference in dewpoint depressions between events with and without lightning. Surface-to-700-hPa temperature differences (a surrogate for lower-tropospheric lapse rate) for events with and without lightning differ significantly for events in northern Utah, bu t nor for those in western New York. Nearly all events have no convective a vailable potential energy, regardless of the presence of lightning. These r esults are discussed in the context of current models of storm electrificat ion.