Natural Phenomena
Wall Cloud
Atmospheric Optics
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An isolated, lowered cloud base that descends from the rain-free portion of a severe thunderstorm, marking the storm's main rotating updraft and often the area from which a tornado, if one forms, will develop. Wall clouds typically persist for ten to twenty minutes and can exhibit visible rotation, making them a key visual cue storm spotters watch for when assessing a supercell's tornado potential.
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A wall cloud is the lowered, often rotating cloud base beneath a supercell thunderstorm from which many tornadoes descend, and is used operationally as a warning sign of tornado formation.
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