dry lightning

“It is kind of a dry lightning setup where you get the lightning that could start a fire but not the rain that would put it out,” he said.

Dry lightning occurs when there is enough moisture in the atmosphere to cause a thunderstorm, but the air near the ground is so dry that any possible precipitation evaporates, explained Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.

There is a trio of risky weather conditions in the forecast for the Los Angeles area starting Tuesday — thunderstorms, dry lightning and rip currents.

“With dry air near the surface, any thunderstorm that forms will likely produce downburst winds up to around 50 mph and the potential for dry lightning, especially for the foothills and lower mountains,” stated the Weather Service.

“Higher elevations have less of a risk for dry lightning and a higher risk for brief heavy downpours, with rain rates up to around 0.75 inches per hour.”