Winter waterspout
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A winter waterspout, also known as a snow devil, an icespout, an ice devil, a snonado, or a snowspout, is an extremely rare meteorological phenomenon in which a vortex resembling that of a waterspout forms under the base of a snow squall.[1][2] The term "winter waterspout" is used to differentiate between a common warm season waterspout and the rare winter season waterspout which will often form in temperatures of −18 °C (−0.4 F) or colder. Very little is known about this rare phenomenon and only six known pictures of this event exist to date, four of which were taken in Ontario, Canada.
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[edit] Environmental Conditions
There are three critical criteria for the formation of a winter waterspout:
- Extremely cold temperatures present over a body of warm water enough to produce fog resembling steam above the water's surface; this usually requires temperatures of −18 °C (−0 °F)or colder if the water temperature is no warmer than 5 °C (0 °F).
- Lake-effect snows in a clustered or banded formation must be present and going on.
- The synoptic or environmental winds must be extremely light; usually less than 5 knots (9 km/h).
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