wall cloud
Tornado's staging area
A wall cloud is a localized, persistent lowering that descends from a storm's rain-free base, often rotating.
It indicates strong updraft and is watched closely as a precursor to tornadoes: The storm chasers positioned themselves when they spotted the wall cloud developing.
Most wall clouds don't produce tornadoes, but most significant tornadoes emerge from them.
- mesocycloneRotating updraft in supercells
- supercellRotating severe thunderstorm
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
- updraftUpward air movement
- vortexRotating fluid column
inflow · lowering · rotation · base · cumulonimbus · cyclogenesis · mammatus · wind shear · portentous · storm · storm chaser · twister · hail · rumbling · meteorology · atmosphere · severe · swirling