Phoenix weather: Cold air funnel cloud appears east of Scottsdale
Feb 19, 2017, 3:14 PM | Updated: 6:36 pm
PHOENIX — A funnel cloud developed in the East Valley on Sunday afternoon as scattered showers moved from west to east across the Phoenix area.
Several social media users captured the formation of the funnel cloud while driving along Loop 101 in Scottsdale just before 3 p.m. Many captured the funnel growing east of Talking Stick Resort. A trained spotter reported the funnel cloud at 2:52 p.m. and called it a “cold air funnel cloud,” according to the National Weather Service.
“There’s still some cold air in the atmosphere and a little instability, and the atmosphere kind of twists cyclonically with the winds, and so there was just a little bit of wind shear that could have developed that little funnel,” National Weather Service meteorologist Hector Vasquez told KTAR. “This time of year, it’s not very serious, but they’re just kind of unique twisting features, cloud features that are very shallow in the atmosphere.
“These are really shallow clouds, and the twisting motions combined with instability, it’s kind of like a dust devil,” Vasquez added. “Sometimes they kind of rotate cyclonically up in the desert. They’re real shallow, and they don’t have a lot of momentum or a lot of impact. They might not even reach the ground.”
Actual funnel cloud forming over Talking Stick Resort in #scottsdale. Wow. @12News pic.twitter.com/EpfjszZBkl
— Samantha Talavera (@sjtalavera) February 19, 2017
@azfamily saw this funnel cloud over talking stick resort not too long ago pic.twitter.com/NTOwicw2A1
— Dan Moreno (@Dan_Moreno_13) February 19, 2017
Funnel cloud out by Chapparal & 101 @abc15 #azwx #azweather #storms pic.twitter.com/f5O48675iG
— Andrea Abbott (@AndreaPAbbott) February 19, 2017
Nathan Kohls on Twitter took a snapshot of the funnel cloud east of Top Golf near Talking Stick Resort.
cool deal. We're having a good time. Even had a bonus funnel cloud for a bit! #azwx pic.twitter.com/WTMXR2cgA3
— Nathan Kohls (@nckohls) February 19, 2017
Funnel cloud over Scottsdale / 101 and Indian Bend. #azwx pic.twitter.com/FSeXqd1URC
— Brett Hansen (@bretthansen5) February 19, 2017
Video of the funnel cloud / Scottsdale / #azwx / @FOX10Phoenix pic.twitter.com/zphhkpV9mN
— Brett Hansen (@bretthansen5) February 19, 2017
