A funnel cloud was spotted over Buffalo's Southtowns Monday, and the National Weather Service Buffalo says that conditions are favorable for the development of “additional weak, brief” funnel clouds through Monday afternoon.
On rare occasions, funnel clouds can make contact with the ground to become landspouts, causing wind gusts up to 50mph.
WBFO spoke with Buffalo National Weather Service Forecaster, Phillip Pandolfo, to find out more.
WBFO: So you've been hearing reports of a funnel cloud or some interesting cloud formation around the Hamburg area. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?
Pandolfo: Right, so we've been getting lots of videos and photos of a funnel cloud in the Hamburg area south of Buffalo. We are investigating whether or not this was a possible waterspout that formed out over Lake Erie and tracked in, to the Hamburg area, which would make it a landspout.
But this is most likely, since we haven't seen any evidence of it circulating any wind down to the ground, this is mostly just cold air funnel cloud that has tracked over the land.
WBFO: So if the funnel cloud does reach the ground, is there any safety concern that that poses?
Pandolfo: So on very rare occasions, these types of funnel clouds can touch down to the ground, which could possibly make it a landspout. Now as far as potential impacts in that sort of scenario, could see brief wind gusts, if it reaches the ground, of 30 to maybe potentially up to 50mph at times. We still encourage folks to to head inside if they do see the funnel cloud. Though, this is yeah again - the circulation reaching the ground is pretty rare.
WBFO: Phillip Pandolfo, a forecaster at Buffalo's National Weather Service, thank you very much for speaking with me today.
Pandolfo: Thank you for having me.
