Funnel clouds, hail coming to the Valley this week? Could happen, says weather service
Travelers leaving the Valley on Wednesday should glance up — the sky could put on an impressive, albeit ill-timed, show for those departing on the most heavily trafficked day of Thanksgiving week.
In addition to afternoon thunderstorms and heavy spurts of rain, the National Weather Service reported that hail and funnel clouds may be seen around the San Joaquin Valley.
A funnel cloud looks much like a tornado but does not touch the ground, and is typically harmless. Funnel clouds do sometimes touch ground and become a tornado, although this is rare, the NWS reports.
Wednesday’s potential funnel clouds would be cold air funnels, said Andy Bollenbacher, a meteorologist for the NWS.
Cold air funnels typically form during a small thunderstorm and when air temperatures are cold. They are most common in fall and spring, when the sun heats lower atmospheric temperatures but those at 15,000 to 20,000 feet remain cold.
Bollenbacher said the NWS tends to get an influx of concerned comments when funnel clouds appear. However, there is no need to worry unless the funnel cloud approaches the ground, which Bollenbacher said is unlikely.
More concerning is how weather conditions will affect air travel. Storms across the nation could decrease visibility, delaying or canceling flights, according to the Weather Channel.
The NWS issued a winter storm warning 4 p.m. Tuesday for the Southern Sierra Nevadas. The storm warning is in effect until 4 a.m. Friday.
One to 3 feet of snowfall in the Sierras and 1 to 2 feet in the Kern County Mountains could close mountain passes and the Grapevine, Bollenbacher said.
Travel will be “extremely difficult to near impossible” in these areas, he said.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Funnel clouds, hail coming to the Valley this week? Could happen, says weather service."
