Cold air funnels 7-6-05

[Carla Bisby]

Cold air funnels are being sighted in central IL. Does anyone have pics of one of these? I've never seen one before.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1159 AM CDT WED JUL 6 2005

...COLD AIR FUNNELS SIGHTED OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

COLD AIR FUNNELS HAVE BEEN SIGHTED JUST SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN NEAR
SAVOY JUST BEFORE NOON. MORE COLD AIR FUNNELS COULD BRIEFLY APPEAR
THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE I-74 CORRIDOR. THIS WOULD INCLUDE
WOODFORD...MCLEAN...DEWITT...PIATT...CHAMPAIGN...VERMILION...
DOUGLAS AND EDGAR COUNTIES.

ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS EXIST ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS THAT FAVOR THE
FORMATION OF THE PHENOMENON CALLED COLD AIR FUNNELS. COLD AIR FUNNELS
ARE NORMALLY NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. THEY FORM OUT OF THE
BOTTOM OF CLOUDS...SPIN...AND DIP DOWN TO WITHIN SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET
OF THE GROUND...ONLY OCCASIONALLY TOUCHING THE GROUND.

THESE FUNNELS COULD CAUSE DAMAGE SIMILAR TO A WEAK TORNADO IF ONE
WERE TO TOUCH DOWN. STAY ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A
SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING IF A FUNNEL CLOUD DOES APPROACH THE GROUND.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Carla,

Here's a link to info and even has a picture on it:

http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/329/

 

[StephenLevine]

Lake Erie is known for occasional episodes of cold air funnels.
In the mid and late Fall, arctic or extremely deep polar air passing over the relatively warm waters of the Lake sometimes sets up low topped convection that causes rain squalls, occasional mostly C-C lightning, sometimes small hail as well as a rare cold air funnel.
I once even saw a picture (was it on S.T.?) of funnel clouds associated with lake effect snow squalls.