What am I seeing here? Little funnel??

[ericjkelly]

Ok need a little help! I love taking videos, but I really dont always know what I am shooting


1:20 into this Iphone video. Looks like a funnel, but doesnt seem like its the right place for it!


Watch video >

 

[rdale]

It's a funnel shaped feature, it wouldn't be anything that could be associated with a tornado but neat regardless.

 

[Skip Talbot]

You're right, it is not in the right place. Your first clue is that the parent cloud is detached from the storm. You need a strong updraft to get a good funnel going, and with the feature disconnected from the parent storm you're missing that updraft. Tendrils of scud are pretty common on outflow features like shelf cloud and roll clouds. That's probably what we're looking at here.

Probably something like this scuddy look-a-like I got from June 5, '08 in Kansas:

 

[ericjkelly]

Thanks for the help! Skip...yea thats my thoughts..but they are spinning.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Thanks for the help! Skip...yea thats my thoughts..but they are spinning.

I see that the feature is changing shape, but its just incredibly hard to make out any rotation due to the quality of the video and distance from the feature. You can definitely get some rotation along the leading edge of outflow (gust front) where the wind shear causes little eddies. You might see a few twists in the scud, or a gustnado on the ground. These are not considered tornadoes, however. Without the feature pendant to the updraft, I don't think we can truly call it a funnel either, even if it has some rotation. There is a real grey area too, however, when you do have scud pendant to the updraft base with some rotation. How much rotation is needed before the feature is truly a "funnel." Its open for debate.The distinction needs to be made when observing these gust front eddies, as seeing some brief, small scale rotation and reporting it as a funnel may trigger a false tornado warning.

 

[ericjkelly]

Skip,

Hey I totally agree! I love chasing, and have seen some cool stuff, but I am still trying to learn!

Hey also....The end of the video...is that a wall cloud to the far left? West? This storm went on to produce multiple tornado's after dark

 

[Skip Talbot]

Hey also....The end of the video...is that a wall cloud to the far left? West? This storm went on to produce multiple tornado's after dark

It does look like a wall cloud. There's probably another updraft base on the flanking line of that storm, and you can see its pulling in rain cooled air from the downdraft to the north. A general rule thumb for identifying wall clouds is seeing which way its pointing. If the cloud points away from rain its a shelf, and if it points to the rain, its a wall cloud.

 

[ericjkelly]

Thats awesome Skip! I had no idea!

I need to hang out with you I am in Fort Wayne...maybe we will be chasing near each other sometime!

 

[Adam Lucio]

I also see Mother Nature showing her support for CTV!

 

[ericjkelly]

you lost me there Adam???

I also see Mother Nature showing her support for CTV!

 

[Chip Redmond]

They look similar, shallow convection, and a feature not touching the ground...

-I was referring to the joke, sorry for being vague.

-Also, just out of curiosity, what date was original video?

 

[Adam Lucio]

you lost me there Adam???

Bah, I tried to make a humorous reference but apparently failed.

If you want a serious answer, Skip nailed it. There is no way that can be a funnel. Funnels are probably the most mis-labeled features I see in storm video/pics. Just because it is pointy does not mean its a funnel although some of the look-a-likes can be pretty convincing.

 

[joel ewing]

I've seen these before, and they sure seem to spin like a legit funnel. I've always felt it was just a manifestation of intense shear in the area. Tell me please, where in Nebraska was this....and what date? Thanks Joel

 

[ericjkelly]

June 6th I believe. Far Southwestern Nebraska!