A landspout, also known as a type of non-supercell tornado, formed in Big Piney, Wyoming, last Saturday. The landspout was described as a slender, rope-like funnel connecting a growing cumulus cloud to the surface.
What is a Landspout?
A landspout is a type of tornado that forms from the ground up, typically appearing as a slender, rope-like funnel connecting a growing cumulus cloud to the surface. Unlike traditional tornadoes that descend from a rotating storm cloud, landspouts form when pre-existing surface-level rotation is stretched upward into the updraft of a developing thunderstorm.
According to Wyoming’s meteorologist, Don Day of Day Weather, the landspout in Big Piney can be classified as a tornado or an extremely well-formed landspout. The high cloud base is a bit unusual for a tornado, but it is likely splitting hairs.
Other types of funnels, such as cold air funnels and tail clouds, can appear similar to tornadoes but are not. Cold air funnels can appear very threatening and extend from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, but they usually form in weak, cold-core showers and rarely touch the ground or cause damage.
Original reporting: K2 Radio (Casper) — read the source article.
