Clear-Air Thunder?

[WindRunner]

Between 9:45 and 9:55 tonight, there was some bursts of thunder, initially 2-3 times/minute, then progressing to 3-5 times/minute, and going back down to 2-3. No lightning could be seen. The problem is that there is no precipitation on the radar, and no/very few clouds in the sky. The only thing I could find was this IR image that showed some poofs over northern (in this one, north central) Virginia that appeared to come from the LP system over New England, making me think that this was some kind of clear-air thunder. Another thing I have to make me say this was some kind of storm was that the RH took a brief (2%) hike during a falling trend.

I'm not sure if this was thunder, or what this phenomenon was, but I'd like to know. Any thoughts?

[Tstormwatcher]

sonic booms perhaps.

[senorpepr]

I didn't see any evidence on the lightning loops at work. If there was thunder, the must be lightning.

Sonic booms don't sound right either. The frequency in that short amount of time doesn't make sense. My guess would be gunfire or just somebody making noise with something (ie basketball against a dumpster, dump truck, etc)

[george_r_1961]

Maybe it was a UFO

[Weatherfreak14]

Never heard of such a thing but yes there must be lightning in the air to make thunder as far as I Know.

[WindRunner]

Yeah, I guess you can see lightning but not hear the thunder, but to hear the thunder you must see the lightning. My first thought was that it was the quarry down the road from our house setting off some explosives, but they are considerate and only do that late in the mornings on some weekdays. It was the only thing that seemed reasonable, and I'm really not sure what else could be going on that late on a Friday night. At this point I really don't know what to think of it.
(And the ideas senorpepr has don't seem to fit as some of it seemed to roll, and I am in a rather rural neighborhood with maybe 5 houses around us, none of which ever make excessive noise.)

[fwbbreeze]

Warrenton, VA does have a US Army training facility that is very secretive if I recall. Something to do with CIA and NSA communication training I believe. Don't know some type of military exercise had anything to do with it or not. Living next to Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field AFB I hear things that sound like thunder constantly only to step outside and realize it is a c130 gunship on the test range or some other type of military device causing the noise. I would keep your ears peeled for it again and let us know if it ever happens again!!!

fwbbreeze

[Astro_man92]

I don't know if this is similar, but I remember sometime in 1997 it was a beautiful bright blue clear sky. with only some scattered puffy white clouds out in the distance. I was minding my own business with some friends and all of a sudden i heard so distinct thunder. I turned around and there were the scattered but few clouds that grouped around the sun, but not so that they found cover it. No one else seemed to notice. So puzzled i let it pass. when it happened there where 2 or 3 claps of thunder (can't remember to well) almost simultaneously, but no clouds anywhere. I waited for it to happen again, but it didn't.

Is that similar to what happened at all?

[WindRunner]

You're right, fwbbreeze, we do have a training facility for the Army about 7 mi N of my house, and an antenna farm for it about 10 mi to the south. Never had anything odd tests or noises happen before, but I suppose it is a possibility.

And Astroman, it was kind of like that, except at night and there were 2-3 claps per minute, only a few loud enough to hear inside, for almost 10 minutes. Also, my entire family heard it as well as my grandparents who live next door.

I still haven't any idea what caused this. Right now the military theory holds as much weight as the thunder theory does right now.

[P.K.]

I didn't see any evidence on the lightning loops at work. If there was thunder, the must be lightning.

I thought they only picked up CG strikes though? (Well that is what I was told anyway) Had a nice CC/IC storm last May where I don't think I saw any CG strikes.

One other possiblity: Exploding oil storage depot, well it happened here so you never know.

[senorpepr]

I didn't see any evidence on the lightning loops at work. If there was thunder, the must be lightning.

I thought they only picked up CG strikes though? (Well that is what I was told anyway) Had a nice CC/IC storm last May where I don't think I saw any CG strikes.

Some detectors only pick up CG strikes. Some pick up on strikes with any vertical extent over a certain point. For instance, if it picks up strikes with greater than a 250m vertical extent, then CA/CC/IC lightning would be picked up if it still meets the >250m rule.