(WAND) - Cold air funnel clouds have returned to central Illinois, forming on the northern periphery of a northern Mississippi storm system.  We recently ran into a couple cold air funnels not too long ago, but it's always good to refresh the brain about them. Â
Cold air funnels usually occur when cold, dry air flows over a warmer, moist surface, creating instability and upward motion in the atmosphere.  They resemble traditional funnel clouds, narrow, spinning columns extending from a cloud base, but are often associated with high-altitude or stratiform clouds rather than thunderstorms. Most cold air funnel clouds are not associated with tornadoes and tend to be weaker and shorter-lived. However, their presence signals active atmospheric dynamics that could lead to other weather phenomena, such as showers and thunderstorms. Â
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