Dry thunderstorms raise wildfire risks in California. Here's what to know

Portions of Northern California may experience thunderstorms this weekend but don’t expect it to come with a downpour.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center forecast on Tuesday that isolated, dry thunderstorms could occur beginning Friday, especially on Saturday.

Here’s what to know about dry thunderstorms.

What are dry thunderstorms?

A dry thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm producing little or no rainfall at the surface because of evaporation, Samantha Zuber, meteorologist with the National Weather Service San Diego said. Rain evaporating between the cloud base and the ground is known as virga, according to NWS Albuquerque .

Are dry thunderstorms dangerous?

While any thunderstorm brings the threat of lightning — which can start fires — this type of thunderstorm means there will be little or no precipitation to help mitigate any fires, she explained. In 2023, Northern California saw 470 fires caused by lightning, according to the National Interagency Fire Center . Southern California experienced 174 fires caused by lightning.

What is dry lightning?

Dry thunderstorms and dry lightning are terms used interchangeably, though the proper term is dry lightning, Zuber said.

What causes dry thunderstorms?

The reason little to no rain reaches the surface in a dry thunderstorm is due to distance.

The storms are elevated, occur high in the atmosphere, and the rain coming down has a long way to go from the point it starts to fall to reach the ground, Zuber said.

That means there’s plenty of time for evaporation during the process, she said.

Where do dry thunderstorms happen?

Dry thunderstorms are more common in areas with drier climates and less humidity, she said.

Dry thunderstorms could bring more wildfires to California

Several fires are currently burning across California, including the Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties, which is now the state’s fifth-largest wildfire in recorded history.

The dry thunderstorms could spark even more wildfires in California.

“We’ve got to keep an eye on the amount of lightning Thursday and Friday because our fuels are very dry,” Alex Tardy, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in San Diego, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Dry thunderstorms raise wildfire risks in California. Here's what to know