After overnight rain, January 25th 2014 turned out to be a sunny, mild day until a squall line swept over the area causing high winds, heavy rain and sudden temperature changes. Locally, trees were uprooted and fences damaged when a brief, but violent thunderstorm swept in from the west. The event prompted many people to turn to the social media to question how unusual a January thunderstorm is. In fact, although rare, thunderstorms are not uncommon in January, and can actually happen at any time of the year. Thunderstorms are caused by the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air. [Read more]