Gustnado hits Pueblo County Monday
A cluster of strong storms moved through Pueblo County Monday producing heavy rain and winds gusts up to 70 mph.
These storms produced another phenomenon caught on camera near Avondale. It looked like a tornado and caused some minor damage, but it wasn’t a tornado!
This was a “gustnado.” Think of this event as a cousin to the tornado, but its formation is quite different.
A gustnado forms along an outflow boundary, also known as a gust front. This boundary, or front, can be though of as a mini cold front. As rain-cooled air rushes downward away from the base of a thunderstorm, it hits the ground and then spreads out in all directions. As this air spreads out, it helps to kick up air along the leading edge. This lifted air can then begin to rotate, creating what looks like a tornado but is actually a gustnado. Gustnadoes are not attached to the cloud base and are not necessarily associated with rotating storms, like traditional tornadoes.
Even though it’s not technically a tornado, gustnadoes can cause significant damage! Winds from gustnadoes have been known to reach 60 to 80 mph, which can cause damage equivalent to an EF-0 or EF-1 tornado!
