Funnel clouds possible this afternoon

If you see a funnel cloud this afternoon, don’t be alarmed.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management says that a different type of funnel cloud forms when weather conditions are similar to those of today. These are called cold air funnels and are not as violent as those associated with warm and humid conditions.

Cold air funnels are associated with thunderstorms or showers that form in deep, cold core, large-scale low pressure systems. Officials say these funnel clouds normally protrude a few hundred feet downward from the parent clouds, rotate and last only a few minutes
before dissipating.

In rare cases when their circulations does reach the ground, cold air funnels cause only minor damage. Bartholomew County EMA says that warnings will be issued if any of them touch the ground.

EMA officials say that tornado sirens were activated today as a result of multiple reports from first responders of a funnel cloud being spotted north of the airport toward the Taylorsville area. Protocol for dispatch also stipulates that all sirens are sounded in such an event. Officials say an Everbridge alert did not go out with the activation, though one should have. They are investigating why that didn’t happen.