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What is thundersnow? The weird weather phenomenon rumbling through the East Coast and Midwest

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A rare weather phenomenon rumbled across several eastern and central U.S. states this weekend .

The National Weather Service shared satellite imagery taken from NASA 's GOES-East in space showing lightning flashes across Arkansas , Kansas , Oklahoma and Missouri .

Thundersnow, also known as a winter thunderstorm, happens when a snowstorm is accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Winter storm warnings are still in place across the Central Plains through to the Mid-Atlantic , with disruptive storm conditions expected to last until Monday evening .

A state of emergency has been declared in Arkansas , Kansas , New Jersey , Missouri , Kentucky , Virginia and West Virginia , and 18 inches of snow fell in parts of Kansas overnight.