There were some reports of tornadoes in Delaware County Saturday evening, which probably reflect sightings of “cold air funnels.” Conditions were favorable for them to develop, within a cold-core, broad area of low pressure spinning away. The storms that spawn them aren’t very “tall” and the cold air funnel circulation seldom makes contact with the ground or does damage. They tend to have a smooth, narrow appearance. Here’s the Weather Service statement:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 931 PM EDT SAT MAY 14 2011 ...COLD AIR FUNNELS POSSIBLE TONIGHT... GENERALLY FUNNEL CLOUDS DEVELOP AND OCCUR IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONDITIONS THAT PRODUCE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONDITION PREVAILS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. THERE IS LITTLE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. RESEARCH STUDIES OF FUNNEL CLOUD OCCURRENCES INDICATE THAT A DIFFERENT TYPE OF FUNNEL CLOUD FORMS WHEN WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF TODAY. THESE ARE CALLED COLD AIR FUNNELS...AND ARE NOT AS VIOLENT AS THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS. COLD AIR FUNNELS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORM IN DEEP...COLD CORE...LARGE SCALE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS. THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE SMOOTH AND NARROW. THEIR PARENT THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT PARTICULARLY TALL OR INTENSE. THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS NORMALLY PROTRUDE A FEW HUNDRED FEET DOWNWARD FROM THE PARENT CLOUDS...ROTATE OR SPIN LIKE A TOP...AND LAST A FEW MINUTES BEFORE DISSIPATING. IN RARE CASES WHERE THEIR CIRCULATIONS DO REACH THE GROUND...COLD AIR FUNNELS GENERALLY CAUSE ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. MORE REPORTS OF SMALL FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED IF ANY OF THEM TOUCH THE GROUND.
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