KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The two most common types of clouds associated with storms and severe weather are a shelf cloud and a wall cloud.
How can you tell the difference?
A shelf cloud can stretch for miles horizontally and is associated with strong/damaging winds, a sharp drop in temperatures, then followed by rain and possible hail. Shelf clouds could be the start of a severe thunderstorm warning due to the strong winds and hail it brings.
A wall cloud, however, is more severe. A wall cloud is a smaller feature that rotates vertically. These clouds can spawn a funnel or tornado as rotation lowers to the ground. If you see a small, compact area of vertical rotation, there's a chance a tornado warning could be issued and it's important to find a safe place immediately.
Now, the next time you spot either of these cloud features during storm season you'll know what to do, how to be prepared and what to expect weather-wise as they blow through.
