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Why was the thunder so loud Tuesday night?

Many people said the abnormally loud thunder woke them up Tuesday night.

ST. LOUIS — Many people, especially in the Brentwood area, reported exceptionally loud thunder that lasted longer than usual in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday.

Turns out, in certain weather situations, the sound of thunder can be prolonged and seem louder than usual.

While it was cold at damp near the ground, just two to three thousand feet up, the air was above 50 degrees and loaded with moisture. 

The thunderstorms that formed were “elevated storms.” Elevated storms are more common in winter as they develop in the warm air above cooler air near the ground.

Sound waves move faster in warm air than they do in cool air. When there is warmer air aloft, the sound waves are bent back toward the earth as they move. So in addition to hearing the direct sound of thunder, which is typical, you hear additional sounds which tend to amplify the thunder and making it sound louder.

When cloud-to-ground lightning strikes reach down into the cold air, the thunder has a much louder impact.

If the lightning remains above the low-level cold air, much of the sound remains above in the warmer air as well.

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