Tornado or inflow tail?new pics of the meso..

[Andrea Griffa]

I wanna make you an interesting question: is that a tornado or inflow tail?Sometimes it's not simple to understand which one is the right thing.
This picture is taken by a friend of mine in North Italy..I was keeping an eye on that cell and I noticed it made a hook echo for at least 25 minutes. This picture was very dark and was taken in the car while my friend drove: I've removed some noise and given some light.

So?I wait for some thoughts :wink:

 

[Tony Laubach]

I guess the big question is was it rotating... it looks like a tornado based on that still alone, but its too hard to tell. That's an ugly storm, though!

 

[Andrea Griffa]

I guess the big question is was it rotating... it looks like a tornado based on that still alone, but its too hard to tell. That's an ugly storm, though!

You're right Tony but my friend was on the highway and he didn't see if there was rotation...He told me that the cell dropped baseball sized hail :shock:

 

[Karen Politte]

Looks like the edge of a gust-front feature denoting outflow, to me.

I'd say neither. Personally.

KR

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Looks like the edge of a gust-front feature denoting outflow, to me.

I'd say neither. Personally.

KR

It could be possible..But how do you exlain that funnel shape cone?

 

[Dave Kaplow]

Towards the bottom left of the picture, if you look carefully just to the "northeast" of what I assume is the side mirror of the car, you can see that there's a lighter area that just might be an RFD notch. If you picture a clear slot there, the whole thing sort of jumps into focus and you're looking at a dusty wedge with a very strong RFD. It's not that much of a stretch to interpret things that way. Another clue is the orientation of the line of slightly darker clouds at the top left of the picture, they do look like they're feeding into a wrapped up meso, giving more credence to the idea that the storm is rotating. It's a tough call without more information. On the basis of the appearance of the shelf-like feature alone, there's no question that the most likely explanation is that it's caused by outflow. But I can't completely dismiss the possibility that it's a powerful RFD driving a dusty tornado.

 

[Angie Norris]

Did you guys get any video of the storm? Are there any damage reports?
From the picture, I'd say there is rotation given what looks to me like a collar cloud and probably a clear slot in that area Dave mentioned. I think I'd have to say tornado, too. Impressive storm, regardless. Congrats!!!
Angie

 

[Steve Miller TX]

I'd have to honestly say "inconclusive". I'd suggest going back to that spot and try to do a damage survey or find any damage reports. There appears to be plenty of trees to make that easy.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Did you guys get any video of the storm? Are there any damage reports?
From the picture, I'd say there is rotation given what looks to me like a collar cloud and probably a clear slot in that area Dave mentioned. I think I'd have to say tornado, too. Impressive storm, regardless. Congrats!!!
Angie

No video but guys of those zones reported numerous damages...But I can't say...Damages with strong RFD winds were so much widespread: I couldn't go in that place to verify by myself. Even I thought of the hypothsis for the RFD and clear slot with a dusty tornado. If my friend will give me other pics I'll make you see.

 

[Jeff Wear]

The storm in this picture reminds me a lot of the Stockton KS supercell of 6/9/2005.

I'd say the picture at the very least depicts an RFD shelf cloud. What really complicates things for me is that it appears this picture was taken through a window, so it's hard for me to tell if the lighter features in the dark area beneath the shelf are stuff that was really there or if they are just reflections from stuff inside the car.

 

[Steven Williams]

Looks like a very poor quality picture of outflow cloud to me.

 

[joel ewing]

I vote tornado. The way the end of the funnel comes to a point, and possibly signs of condensation "whisps" encircling the funnel......that'd be my guess. I am sure I am right and everybody else in wrong. (lol)

 

[Gabe Garfield]

What direction was your friend looking?

I have to say inconclusive at this time. It's either a tornado or one of the best fakenadoes I have seen.

Gabe

 

[Ben Cotton]

Were it not for that dark shaft in the background, I'd say the foreground cloud was a shelf along the forward flank outflow. But if the background shaft is precip, I just can't make it line up. It seems it would have to be a tornado...but it is impossible to say conclusively just from this picture.


Ben

 

[David Drummond]

Looks like the edge of a gust-front feature denoting outflow, to me.

I'd say neither. Personally.

KR

I agree with Karen on this one. The quality of the photo, and most importantly, not being able to see motion, one can't be certain unless they were there. But I looked at this earlier without reading the other comments and that was my first impression, cloud material on the edge of a really nasty outflow feature of some sort. Coming back to look at it a couple of hours later, I still get the same impression. Noting the motions in real life (or video) would have told the ultimate story though.