What Is Thundersnow? Lonnie Quinn Explains

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - People across the Tri-State Area were rattled by rare thundersnow during the powerful nor'easter that hit our area Wednesday.

VIDEO: Thundersnow rumbles across NYC

"Thundersnow is a thunderstorm with snow instead of rain. So here's the deal, in order to get a thunderstorm, you have to have really fast lift," CBS2's Lonnie Quinn explained. "Air's got to be rushing up into the atmosphere. The faster it goes up, the faster that precipitation comes down."

"Thundersnow is the fastest Mother Nature can throw the snow out of the clouds," Quinn added.