Funnel clouds make rare visit.Byline: Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard So far this week, two funnel clouds have been spotted in the southern Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley (pronounced [wɪˈlæ.mɪt], with the accent on the second syllable) is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its northeast of Eugene - one Monday and another Wednesday - but neither became a full-fledged tornado, and officials of the National Weather Service say it's not an uncommon weather phenomenon this time of year. "It's usually very localized, and it usually doesn't do any damage at all," weather service meteorologist Mark O'Malley said. Funnel clouds form when there's a lot of cold air at about 10,000 feet, with warm air underneath it, creating an especially unstable atmosphere. The warm air rises quickly, bumping into the cold air above it, "and the atmosphere begins to overturn," O'Malley said. Billowy bil·low n. 1. A large wave or swell of water. 2. A great swell, surge, or undulating mass, as of smoke or sound. v. bil·lowed, bil·low·ing, bil·lows v.intr. 1. cumulus cumulus: see cloud. clouds form, giving rise to thunderstorms thunderstorms a storm characterized by thunder and lightning caused by strong rising air currents; identified as agents of animal disease because of their involvement causing (1) spasmodic colic; (2) lightning strike; (3) injuries of cattle acquired in stampedes initiated by storms. and, occasionally, funnel clouds. Wednesday's "cold air funnel" formed about 12 miles north of Eugene, said Peggy Peirson, emergency services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' coordinator for Benton County Benton County is the name of nine counties in the United States:
A pilot and observers at the Eugene Airport Eugene Airport (IATA: EUG, ICAO: KEUG), also known as Mahlon Sweet Field, is a public airport located 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Eugene, in Lane County, Oregon. spotted a funnel cloud at 1:19 p.m. which showed little movement and did not approach the ground before dissipating about two minutes later, Peirson said. On Monday, Eugene Airport personnel watched a similar funnel form about 8:30 a.m. It lasted several minutes before disappearing in the clouds. The National Weather Service predicts continued moist, unstable conditions, with a cold front moving across the area Saturday night and Sunday, followed by drier and warmer weather next week. TORNADOES IN OREGON The National Weather Service's Internet site at www.wrh.noaa.gov/ lists 64 full-fledged tornadoes touching down in the state, dating back to 1887. Most caused little or no damage. Several occurred in Lane County, in addition to the December 1999 tornado in Creswell - November 1989, May 1984, August 1975 and June 1937. |
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