translate NWS comment: funnels can become small tornadoes

[Jason Harris]

Looking outside my apartment noticing some high storm tops out there with the anvils at twilight, and checking on GR3 one storm even has a top estimated 55-60 k ft So, I checked the NWS Special Weather Statement in that area (near Fort Meade) and discovered this:

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AT 820 PM EDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED TWO FUNNEL CLOUDS
IN WINTER HAVEN AREA.

FUNNEL CLOUDS CAN BECOME BRIEF...SMALL...BUT DANGEROUS TORNADOES.
MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY...AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
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Why do you think this commentary was phrased as a generalization like this--because NWS doesn't expect anything more than a brief small tornado from these storms or . . . ? It seems rather odd. Maybe they're not detecting enough rotation to consider a tornado warning, but doesn't law enforcement seeing funnels count for something? Are funnels without tornadoes part of the criteria for special weather statements?

 

[Kyle Soldani]

NWS might say that law enforcement has spotted a funnel, however they get soo many reports of "funnels" and "wall-clouds" which are actually just low level scud. It depends whether or not the law enforcement has spotter training, I don't believe it's required (somebody please correct if wrong).

I'd imagine a warning wasn't issued because doppler wasn't detecting rotation, thus it was probably just scud being falsely reported. They definitely would've issued a warning had they seen rotation via radar.