Outdoor warning sirens sounded throughout Wood County Friday afternoon, but there was no severe weather threat.
WTOL Meteorologist Kimberly Newman says the cloud causing alarm in and around Bowling Green was actually just a
cold air funnel.
There were several sightings of cold air funnel clouds, and some people were concerned it may have been a tornado. That included a trained weather spotter, who notified the Wood County Sheriff's Office, causing warning sirens to sound. The dispatcher erred on the side of caution and sounded the alarm before checking with the National Weather Service.
Cold air funnels will not touch down, or produce severe weather. Upper-air condensation will reveal the cloud at the source of some rotation, but there is no instability, and no chance for the development of a tornado.
Little to no impact comes from these minor circulations-- it is very high up in the atmosphere. The cloud forms from the condensation process, and the change in wind direction with height (shear) can cause some minor rotation, but again, there isn't any instability to turn this into a dangerous situation.
"It's a tough situation because it looks so scary," explained WTOL Meteorologist Robert Shiels. "It looks pretty scary but actually is a nearly harmless situation."
Viewer submitted photo above Bowling Green
