Thunderstorms

[Wastelander]

My city is currently being hit by a pretty severe thunderstorm, you might have heard about the freak weather in Germany. So, I was looking out of the window, cup of coffee in my hand enjoying being actually safe and thought 'Yeah, thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are cool. I want to see a thunderstorm in the game.'.

Now, I do realize that thunderstorms are pretty rare in cold weather, at least where I live, but they do form - I have personally seen around 4 in my life, give or take. I just think it'd be cool, something that just adds a feeling of dread.

[hauteecolerider]

Thunderstorms can form in winter. However, thunderstorms required a warm front to collide with a cold front for the required atmospheric violence to develop. That's why it's so darn rare in winter. I suspect you might have a better chance of seeing thunderstorms develop when the next season (spring) is introduced. Tends to be more likely during a thaw, at least the few winter thunderstorms I've seen.

And yes! Thunderstorms are cool! I hope to see some in TLD in the near future! But I just can't help but think of all the melting snow . . . which leads into mud . . . which means wet socks and heavy boots . . .

[LloydNoise]

THUNDERSNOW!

[Wastelander]

32 minutes ago, hauteecolerider said:

Thunderstorms can form in winter. However, thunderstorms required a warm front to collide with a cold front for the required atmospheric violence to develop. That's why it's so darn rare in winter. I suspect you might have a better chance of seeing thunderstorms develop when the next season (spring) is introduced. Tends to be more likely during a thaw, at least the few winter thunderstorms I've seen.

And yes! Thunderstorms are cool! I hope to see some in TLD in the near future! But I just can't help but think of all the melting snow . . . which leads into mud . . . which means wet socks and heavy boots . . .

Yeah, that seems like a good idea. +1

[MarrowStone]

Im definitely interested in seeing thundersnows in my future. 

Possibly make it occur before or after an Aurora event?!

[vitamin]

Thunderstorms in winter? I have been living in Manitoba, Canada for my entire life, 32 years, and I have witnessed exactly zero thunderstorms in winter here.

[hauteecolerider]

@vitamin, I've got about two decades on ya and I can tell you, thunderstorms in winter exactly twice in my lifetime. Of course, the way spring kind of teases us for months around here, I'm not surprised that I have heard thunder while looking at snow on the ground. 

[Wasteland Watcher]

I'd love to see thunderstorms added after the other seasons have been added

[Scyzara]

3 hours ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

I'd love to see thunderstorms added after the other seasons have been added

Agreed, thunderstorms are definitely a great hazard totally worth adding to TLD in general, but I personally would rather postpone them until we have a summer-version of TLD available. Not saying that thunderstorms in winter are impossible or anything (as @hauteecolerider has said, they certainly do exist), but they're just a thousand times more likely to occur in summer. 

What I would love to see in winter, on the other hand, is an occasional long-term whiteout blizzard. Well, I guess it's not unlikely that the weather almanac and whiteout challenge mode point into this direction. 

[Wastelander]

Quote

What I would love to see in winter, on the other hand, is an occasional long-term whiteout blizzard. Well, I guess it's not unlikely that the weather almanac and whiteout challenge mode point into this direction. 

Oh boy, yes, I want that. I definitely want that. Finally makes stockpiling everything (because hey, TLD is a video game, and if video games have taught me one thing it is to compulsively steal everything in sight) worthwhile and makes cabin fever a REAL threat!

[Ruruwawa]

9 hours ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

I'd love to see thunderstorms added after the other seasons have been added

I had a thunderstorm drop by a couple days ago (it's late spring in Colorado) and dump a huge amount of hail, which flattened (and killed) every plant in my vegetable garden.   I guess a super heavy rain could do the same.

So I agree thunderstorms definitely could be a good hazard in the non-winter sandboxes, and not just to our personal health.  They could knock the berries off bushes (better pick em up fast because they'll spoil on the ground), make green growing plants unharvestable for a few days / weeks while they recover, etc.

[Wasteland Watcher]

@Ruruwawayou know, after other seasons have been added, hail would be a very cool addition as well

In addition to inclement weather damaging the vegetation, hampering our foraging, I'd *really* love to see vegetation "regrow" after some time has passed. 

On that same note, I'd love to see vegetation grow (and regrow) in completely random different locations during the same sandbox so we wouldn't "know" (for example) "if I go near the Frozen Pond I'll probably find rose hips." 

Even have it grow in inaccessible locations at times--for the realism factor

Wow, from a discussion about lightening to all this! 

Now this is what I call a brain storm!  

[cekivi]

The only problem with completely random growth is that most of our harvestable food (e.g. bulrush stalks) are going to grow in the same spot. It would be very odd to see them growing in the middle of a paved road for instance.

[Wasteland Watcher]

12 minutes ago, cekivi said:

The only problem with completely random growth is that most of our harvestable food (e.g. bulrush stalks) are going to grow in the same spot. It would be very odd to see them growing in the middle of a paved road for instance.

Easy fix: one category for plants that grow in water limited to water/frozen water locations, and another category for "dry land plants" that are limited to dry land

 

[sir ice]

Thunder is extremely rare in the snow. It has been recorded very few times. If this were to be added I would presume it would be and "easter egg."

[MarrowStone]

3 hours ago, sir ice said:

Thunder is extremely rare in the snow. It has been recorded very few times. If this were to be added I would presume it would be and "easter egg."

A thundersnow wouldnt necessarily be an easter egg, the Aurora event could easily be to blame for the less rare occurrences. Its a geomagnetic disaster and lightning is electricity. 

Plus, who doesnt like a good thundersnow

[sir ice]

8 hours ago, MarrowStone said:

A thundersnow wouldnt necessarily be an easter egg, the Aurora event could easily be to blame for the less rare occurrences. Its a geomagnetic disaster and lightning is electricity. 

Plus, who doesnt like a good thundersnow

true! Das Ist gut!

[Ice Hole]

Give this some life!

Thundersnow would have to include lightning.  That could then possibly source fire.  There are what appears to be trees that are hollowed out. Possibly by a fire started by lighting.  The hollowed out tree trunk I slept in FM was quite roomy.

According to wikipedia the snow acts as a suppressor and reduces sound pressure.  The thunder boom would not travel.  So if you where to hear the thunder in a snowstorm you could be certain it struck close by. Seeing an eerie glow and then a burning tree during a snowstorm.

With seasons on the road map it seems logical that lightning could be included.  Spring Summer and Fall all have thunder storms.

 

[MarrowStone]

Even if the lightning didnt cause burning due to too much wind, an eerie flash (could be colored like the aurora just for looks) followed by a rumbling boom all around you would be amazing.