Do you see a thin funnel-shaped cloud? Fret not, says NWS Lubbock
Corresponding with the ongoing rain conditions, residents around Lubbock may see something they're hoping to avoid: a funnel in the distance.
If it's thin, and not paired with a wall cloud, the National Weather Service office in Lubbock says there's little need to sound the alarm.
While the funnels are expected to continue through the afternoon -- and may appear on occasion in similar conditions over the next few days -- they rarely extend to the ground. When they do, they can cause brief damage.
We've had some reports of these tropical-type funnel clouds across Lubbock along the leading edge of the heavy rain shower bands. These funnels will likely continue through the afternoon. They rarely extend to the ground, but can cause brief damge if they do. #txwx #lubwx https://t.co/pViMOj4DOH
— NWS Lubbock (@NWSLubbock) August 31, 2022
"In this type of environment, we're not seeing supercell tornadoes that people generally associate with funnels," said NWS Lubbock forecaster Joe Merchant. "These funnel clouds we're seeing today are not associated with a rotating supercell or wall clouds that we generally see during our primary severe weather season. These are much smaller in scale and weaker.
"You certainly don't want to be in the direct path of one still, but they're mot like the dust devils that you see during fair weather," he added.
More:High temperatures could bring more dust devils to the South Plains, Panhandle
The funnel clouds many residents saw Tuesday and Wednesday are typically more narrow than a funnel we'd see in tornadic activity, and they're caused by tropical-like conditions.
"All of this is driven by much more moisture in the atmosphere, much weaker winds to the surface, and there's very little wind associated with any because we don't have a strong cold front or dry line," Merchant said. "So, this is all what we call a much weaker force than what we would see during the spring and summer."
While it can be difficult to distinguish between a generally harmless funnel cloud and tornado, dangerous activity will almost always appear in the forecast before it is seen, NWS Lubbock said.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Do you see a thin funnel-shaped cloud? Fret not, says NWS Lubbock
