Sergeants with the Nebraska State Patrol captured a unique weather event on camera Wednesday, south of the rest area in Sutherland, Nebraska.
The photos, captured from different angles by Sergeants Veal and Balthazor, depicts a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud.
The funnel cloud appears to be an example of a land spout, which forms when an updraft begins rotate upward, forming a vortex. Unlike supercell tornadoes, landspouts are not associated with a rotating cloud base. They often form from the ground up, rather than from a pre-existing rotation in the cloud.
“Stay weather aware,” reminded NSP in sharing the photos.