Here in norther Canada, I have never seen lightening in winter – when the surface temperatures are below freezing. But the upper atmosphere where the stores clouded reach to are always far below freezing.
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Thundersnow is a thing but it’s rare. Very cold air doesn’t contain much water vapour, and the “power source” for thunderstorms is water vapour. Without much water vapour it’s hard to get enough energy to get a storm going.
You’re right that it’s generally freezing up at the altitudes where the *tops* of thunderstorm clouds go, but that’s not where those clouds started. Thunderclouds start with warm moist air at low altitude. The warm air starts to rise, and as it rises it cools. Eventually it saturates (100% relative humidity) and the water vapour starts to condense, which releases TONS of heat. That boosts the temperature above what it otherwise would be, the warm air stays warm longer, and it keeps rising more, cooling more, condensing more, and so on.
The voltage comes from water droplets rubbing against each other. Think fuzzy socks on your wool carpet, only bigger. Much much bigger.
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