TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) -- Every Tuesday on WTXL Sunrise, you'll be able to have one of your own weather questions answered by Meteorologist Alex Cordero.
This week, our question comes from viewer Ashley Southern via Twitter.
She asks: If a tornado is basically just air twisting why do you need a storm to have one?
To start, a better term for air twisting is whirlwind. That is deemed as a rotating column of air. Weak whirlwinds are those that are small and generally cause little to no damage to a given area. Whirlwinds can range from dust devils to eddies, and yes, even tornadoes.
But small scale "minor" ones do not need a parent circulation to form them. Dust devils, for instance, form due to hot air at the surface rising through an area of cooler air above it. If the winds turn about this column, it can form a vortex that can occasionally gather dirt and debris.
On the other hand, a tornado or waterspout is a "major" whirlwind. These stronger ones don't form due to that temperature difference that forms devils. They need to be in an area where there is a larger circulation already present. If there is no strong, fast circulation you may get strong winds, but no spin means no tornado.
This circulation will either come from a developing cumulus cloud, or a thunderstorm. With this larger circulation backing it up, the tornado is typically stronger and more dangerous.
Remember you can send your questions to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or send them to ACORDERO@WTXL.TV
