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Dry lightning is a term which is used to refer to lightning strikes occurring without significant precipitation. The term is a technical misnomer

Misnomer

A misnomer is a term which suggests an interpretation that is known to be untrue. Such incorrect terms sometimes derive their names because of the form, action, or origin of the subject becoming named popularly or widely referenced—long before their true natures were known.- Sources of misnomers...

 since lightning

Lightning

Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...

 is obviously not wet in any instance, and also because the thunderstorms which sometimes cause it actually do produce precipitation

Precipitation (meteorology)

In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...

, although the precipitation does not reach the ground in significant amounts.

Dry thunderstorms

Such thunderstorms are most common in the western portion of the United States during the summer. They occur when the rain produced by thunderstorms falls through a substantial layer of very dry air which evaporates the precipitation before it reaches the ground. For fire weather purposes, a thunderstorm does not have to be completely dry to be considered dry; in many areas, a tenth of an inch of rain is the threshold between a "wet" and "dry" thunderstorm.

Dry thunderstorms are notable for two other reasons: they are the most common natural origin of wildland fires, and they can produce strong gusty surface winds that can fan flames.

Pyrocumulus clouds

Clouds do not have to be formed of water droplets to produce electricity. Pyrocumulus clouds produce lightning for the same reason that it is produced by cumulonimbus clouds. When the higher levels of the atmosphere are cooler, and the surface is warmed to extreme temperatures due to a wildfire, volcano, etc, convection will occur, and the convection produces lightning.

See also

• Bolt from the blue
• Dust storm
  Dust storm
  A dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
  
  
• Heat lightning
  Heat lightning
  Heat lightning is a misnomer for the faint flashes of lightning on the horizon or other clouds from distant thunderstorms that do not have accompanying sounds of thunder. This occurs because the lightning occurs very far away and the sound waves dissipate before they reach the observer...
  
  
• Microburst
  Microburst
  A microburst is a very localized column of sinking air, producing damaging divergent and straight-line winds at the surface that are similar to, but distinguishable from, tornadoes, which generally have convergent damage. There are two types of microbursts: wet microbursts and dry microbursts...
  
  
• Pyrocumulus cloud
  Pyrocumulus cloud
  A pyrocumulus, or literally fire cloud, is a dense cumuliform cloud associated with fire or volcanic activity.A pyrocumulus is similar dynamically in some ways to a firestorm, and the two phenomena may occur in conjunction with each other...