Funnel cloud facts for kids
A funnel cloud is a cloud that looks like a funnel. It's made of tiny water droplets that have turned into a cloud. These clouds usually have air spinning around inside them. They hang down from the bottom of a bigger cloud but don't touch the ground or water.
You can often see a funnel cloud as a cone or needle shape reaching down from the main cloud. Funnel clouds often form when strong thunderstorms, called supercell thunderstorms, are happening.
If a funnel cloud touches the ground, it becomes a tornado. Most tornadoes start out as funnel clouds. However, many funnel clouds never actually touch the ground, so they don't become tornadoes. You can only really see a tornado when it picks up dirt and other things from the ground. But you can often spot them from far away!
If a funnel cloud touches water, it's called a waterspout. If it touches the ground during a snowstorm, it's sometimes called a winter waterspout.
Types of Funnel Clouds
Cold-Air Funnel Clouds
Cold-air funnel clouds are usually not very strong. They also don't last very long. They are much weaker than the tornadoes that come from supercell thunderstorms.
Most cold-air funnel clouds do not touch the ground. But sometimes, they can! If they do, they become weak tornadoes or waterspouts. These types of funnel clouds are often seen along the Pacific Coast of the USA. They usually appear in the spring or autumn.
Learn More
Images for kids
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A needle-like funnel cloud near Elie, Manitoba. It later became a confirmed tornado.
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A cold-air funnel in Amarillo, Texas.
See also
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