I was sitting at my computer desk with the window cracked Tuesday afternoon when a sudden flash from outside made me stop what I was doing.

The blinds were drawn, so my initial response was to wonder how someone taking a picture of the snowstorm outside could have created such a noticeable flash indoors.

Several seconds later, a low distant rumbling turned into a house-shaking clap of thunder and the cat that had been sleeping on my desk was suddenly out of the room and under the couch.

Knowing the rare "thunder-snow" weather event would instantly become a hot topic of discussion, I jumped on the Salem Patch Facebook page and asked our followers if they heard anything.

The ensuing discussion indicated that the lightning strike, which occurred shortly before 3 p.m., was powerful enough to have been heard in Peabody, Marblehead, Salem and Lynn.

Here's what some of our readers had to say Tuesday afternoon:

Joanne Garuti Mitchell: Shook my house in Salem.

Gail Covitz: Barely heard it in Peabody near the Salem line.

Ellen Jalbert Simard: Yes, it was nice and loud.

Rana Jezzini: Scared me here on Loring Ave., that was loud!

Lisa Crockett: I heard it clear as day on the salem Peabody/Salem line...dog went nuts!

Katherine Keyes Millett: Heard in Salem, thought it was my neighbors moving their furniture...Lol

Franny Mundy: Scared the daylights out of me!

Jillien Lochridge: Woke our new baby!

Patricia Ragusa Mastrorio: The thunder was so loud, I nearly fell off of the couch. The dog went crazy barking. It took 10 minutes to calm her down.

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Did you hear the thunder clap during Tuesday's snowstorm? Do you remember where you were or what you were doing when it happened?

Let us know in the comments section below.