Here’s a good training aid for SKYWARN spotters. What does this look like to you?
No, it’s not a tornado or even a funnel cloud. It’s a funnel-shaped rain shaft. You might call it, “virga,” but the technical definition of virga is rain shaft that evaporates before it reaches the ground and the bottom of this rain shaft (the illuminated part) appears to be reaching the ground. I took this photo in the early evening of March 31, 2013 in northeastern Fort Wayne, Indiana.
During SKYWARN training, instructors warn spotters not to confuse rain shafts with funnel clouds. But never before have I seen a rain shaft that so closely mimics the appearance of a funnel cloud.
How did I know it wasn’t a tornadic funnel?
- It wasn’t spinning (sorry, I didn’t think to shoot video).
- The weather conditions weren’t right for tornadoes.
- I could see the rain in the illuminated part at the bottom.
I forwarded this photo to my local NWS weather forecast office to use as a training aid. If you ever see something like this, I encourage you to photograph it and do the same.
Leave a comment below if you’ve ever seen something that looks like funnel cloud or a tornado but wasn’t.
Was driving west out of Fort Wayne on US 30 on March 31. There were virga streaks everywhere! Cool photo.
Thanks. I took this shot from the parking lot of the Meijer store near the intersection of I-469 and U.S. 37 at 7:34 p.m. EDT.