Cold Air Funnel Cloud in Oregon

[bjdeming]

This statement is still in effect; I'm in Corvallis but haven't seen it yet. What on Earth is a cold air funnel cloud?

Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Portland OR
1226 PM PDT Thu May 10 2018

ORZ005>008-WAZ022-039-110000-
Lower Columbia-Greater Portland Metro Area-
Central Willamette Valley-South Willamette Valley-I-
5 Corridor in Cowlitz County-Greater Vancouver Area-
Including the cities of St. Helens, Clatskanie, Hillsboro,
Portland, Wilsonville, Oregon City, Gresham, Troutdale, Salem,
McMinnville, Woodburn, Stayton, Dallas, Eugene, Springfield,
Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon, Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock,
Vancouver, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, Washougal, Yacolt,
and Amboy
1226 PM PDT Thu May 10 2018

...COLD AIR FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED NEAR BROWNSVILLE...

At 1135 AM, a trained spotter reported a shower producing a cold
air funnel cloud near Brownsville. The funnel cloud did not touch
the ground and has since dissipated.

The air mass over northwest Oregon and southwest Washington is
cool and unstable this afternoon. This pattern can produce what
are called cold air funnel clouds. These funnels do not usually
touch the ground. However, if they do touch the ground they are
dangerous and can be damaging.

$$

Weagle

 

[bjdeming]

Just did my first storm "chase"? Well, I went out with a camera and filmed a suspicious-looking cell that was passing just to the north. My roommate is from Bend and says that these things blow up every now and then - like dustdevils.

It's certainly very minor compared to Alabama weather, and I blush to post a link to the video here among so many experts and excellent chase videos...but, first! (for me)

It's on my blog here, and here is a still, facing northeast, with the driving winds from the NNW, I think.

PS: The camera picked up more detail than I could see - I felt like I was just standing there aiming a tablet at some odd-looking clouds. Well, a few images got close to the center anyway. Hope it's helpful.

 

[thanatogenos]

Pretty interesting vid/report. Apparently these are common along the Pacific coast in spring.. way up in the sky, never coming down to the ground. So are dust-devils as I recall. we used to see them on the playground at school (San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles CA)