This is a picture of a cold air funnel taken just before 1pm this afternoon near Walmart in Anderson. You may see more yet today. (Photo courtesy Dawn Summeier.)
1256 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2016 ...COLD AIR FUNNELS POSSIBLE TODAY... GENERALLY FUNNEL CLOUDS DEVELOP AND OCCUR IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONDITIONS THAT PRODUCE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONDITION PREVAILS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY. 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 WHEN THEIR CIRCULATIONS DO REACH THE GROUND...COLD AIR FUNNELS CAUSE ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. MORE REPORTS OF SMALL FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY. WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED IF ANY OF THEM TOUCH THE GROUND.
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