What is this cloud thing? (picture)?

Question

I have a new fascination with tornadoes, and I found this picture and I don't know exactly what it is? Is this a sort of funnel cloud? I don't get how a tornado would form out of that. Is it a hurricane?

Here's the picture: http://i38.tinypic.com/34ss1ap.jpg

Answer 1

This photo was taken by a storm chaser on June 13, 2004 near Alvo, NE.  Here is the web site where you can see how this developed and what happens afterwords.  I'll let him explain what he is seeing and that will give you the answer.  It is a great set of photos.

http://www.extremeinstability.com/04-6-1...

His web site has many great pictures.  He highlights some of the weather terms used and points them out on some of his pictures.  See the following links for details.

http://www.extremeinstability.com/stormi...

Answer 2

It looked like a funnel clud forming. Did you check the weather when you saw that because maybe they would have said that you were under a tornado warning. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

Respectfully,

BK

Answer 3

I'm not sure of what it is (sorry) but I had to say it's one of the most intense and even creepiest thing I've ever seen... So majestic also.

Answer 4

That is one of the coolest things i have seen! I think it is a funnel cloud! WOW....amazing!

Answer 5

That is a wall cloud tornadoes sometimes form in it, but it carries down draft winds which are high winds that somtimes cause tornadoes to form.

Answer 6

One: Hit the deck FAST if you EVER see that. Two: Looks like a cumulonimbus cloud (thunderhead) with a wall cloud that has VERY strong rotation, so if it wasn't putting out a funnel cloud or a tornado, it was extremely close to it. Not a tornado or a hurricane though.

Answer 7

That is a very nice looking low precipitation supercell.  Most of the precipitation is falling on the far right side of the storm, while the rotating updraft is evident on the twisted and ragged looking darker clouds in the center of the photo.  I don't see any strong evidence of a funnel cloud or tornado, but a tornado could possible form out of the base of the darker clouds where the rotating updraft exists.  Large hail is also a good bet with such a storm.

Answer 8

i don't see no ocean around so i pretty sure its a funnel cloud and that it is coming down like a funnel cloud there are some big ones like that

Answer 9

That is one scary cloud.  I also have a terror and fascination with tornadoes, but am kind of ignorant about them as well, which often leads me to run screaming to the basement every time I see a low-flying cloud!  I have only seen one tornado from very far away once.  But to me, that picture looks like a funnel cloud, almost giant tornado . .. I am interested in what the "experts" might say.

Answer 10

its not a hurricane, but it could be the start of a tornado... some people dont realize how big tornadoes can get cuz they usually see the smaller ones... tornadoes can get as wide as a mile across... sometimes bigger too. that thing is very freaky though...

Weak Tornadoes

69% of all tornadoes

Less than 5% of tornado deaths

Lifetime 1-10+ minutes

Winds less than 110 mph

Strong Tornadoes

29% of all tornadoes

Nearly 30% of all tornado deaths

May last 20 minutes or longer

Winds 110-205 mph

Violent Tornadoes

Only 2% of all tornadoes

70% of all tornado deaths

Lifetime can exceed 1 hour

Lifetime can exceed 1 hour

Answer 11

God!

It scared the c**p out of me lol

hurricane maybe?

Answer 12

it looks like a supercell thunderstorm

Answer 13

That's a serious wall cloud. You can see how crazy it must have been rotaiting. I would assume a tornado probably came out of that one.

Answer 14

HOLY c**p!!!! ahh i would have died if i was there!! haha i think its like an F5 tornado it doesn't look like a hurricane

Answer 15

im pretty sure its a funnel cloud a big one

Answer 16

Wow! As impressive as that thing is, it is a mere THUNDERSTORM, and one that looks very capable of producing tornadic activity.

That is one mean sucker.

Look at the rotation in the core of the storm- that is called a MESOCYCLONE.

The part hanging down below is called a WALL CLOUD.

This itself is NOT a funnel cloud or a tornado. If a funnel/tornado were in the picture, it would be a smaller protrusion, in comparison to the storm itself, that sticks out of the bottom of that massive thing.

As for a hurricane- you've got to understand that a hurricane is a huge weather system. When they come on land and we view them on a regional radar, they tend to take up an entire state or two or three.

This is a picture of an individual thunderstorm. It may seem huge to us, but on a regional radar the thing would be the size of a pencil eraser- I swear.