Weird clouds during rainstorm?

Question

The other day my boyfriend and I were going home (ohio if that matters) from a trip, and it was raining so hard you couldn't see the road, no thunder or lightning, just rain, but just before it hit hard, I looked over and saw these clouds coming down and rotating, but they were sort of thin, and you could see through the gaps between all of them, they were in a coil/spring like shape,lower than the sky, not near the other clouds at all. It wasn't smoke or anything like that. They were clouds, but I'm wondering if it wasn't a funnel cloud trying to form? I'm trying to find pictures or something. Any ideas?

Answer 1

there might of been a torndo trying to form into one

Answer 2

most likely it's scud. which is a whole lot of nothing except that it points toward the updraft and the wall cloud (if it exists)

Answer 3

There could have been rotation associated with that storm and it could have been a funnel cloud but usually weather stations can pick those out of a thunderstorm with a doppler radar.   Those low clouds could have also been what is called cumulo fractus,  which are low hanging clouds caused by downdrafts in a thunderstorm.     Big thunderstorm can also caused Mammatus clouds which looks like little pouches below a storm.

If your skies are overcast,  you could have embedded thunderstorms accounting for that heavy rain.

Answer 4

They could have been a roll cloud you were seeing.  Just like you described they were not part of any other storm cloud.  This would be them you see them before the main part of the storm and can be low and have a look like the are rotating.  A funnel could would be attached to the rear of the storm and Mammatus clouds don't rotate.