It must be Independence Day in Seattle

An estimated 2,500 lightning strikes in Western Washington over the past twenty-four hours, with more forecast for the next twenty-four hours.  It was a wild night for flashes and booms, and for once it wasn't because of the noisy neighbors.

Given our typical lack of any real thunderstorm activity, it's interesting to note that the 4th of July holiday in 2006 also started with some strong night-time thunderstorms, then more during the afternoon prior to the fireworks (and massive fire.)

But remember, summer in Seattle doesn't officially start until July 5...

UPDATE: And how could I forget the thunderstorms that produced the lightning seen in the photos I use in my site banner?  Those storms occurred overnight on July 12, 2007... apparently there's something special about early in the month of July.