NUFORC Sighting 86941

Occurred: 2012-01-24 22:30 Local
Reported: 2012-01-31 23:35 Pacific
Duration: Split-Second
No of observers: 1

Location: Mount Vernon, WA, USA

Shape: Flash


Ultra-bright flash seen in night sky over south Skagit Co. on 01/24/2012.

I live in south Mount Vernon, near the Snohomish/Skagit County border.

I am reporting because I saw the same split-second ultra-bright flash previously reported on by a resident of Bellingham, WA (Occurred 1/16/2012 3:30), though my sighting of such flash occurred the night of 1/24/2012.

I had stepped outside, sometime between 10 & 11pm, because my dogs were barking and I thought it might be coyotes near my house again. About 2 min. passed and I suddenly saw a very rapid, ultra-bright flash in the sky to the immediate south of my house. The flash did not appear to be lightning, but I waited for over half an hour for the sound of thunder, as would follow had it actually been, and never heard a thing.

I was going to keep this incident to myself until I realized I wasn't alone in such a sighting.

As I have no experience with such phenomena, is this typical of “winter lightning”, as questioned upon by the Bellingham poster?

I am itching with curiosity to know what it was.

Posted 2012-02-03

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