Can the temperature of a lightning bolt be measured if there is no resistance (a tree, the ground)? If so, what temperature are lightning bolts?
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Yes, you can measure the temperature of a lightning bolt. Technically, you’re measuring the temperature of the plasma that’s left of the air after the lightning bolt ripped all the molecules apart and ionized everything. Typical lightning temperatures are in the 10s of thousands of degF ([https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-temperature](https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-temperature)).
There is still resistance…trees, air, the ground are not superconductors. Ionized air is a *far* better conductor of electricity than regular air, which is why the current spikes so high once the lightning bolt finds a path.
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