The NWS defines a landspout as “A tornado that does not arise from organized storm-scale rotation and therefore is not associated with a wall cloud (visually) or a mesocyclone (on radar)”. It counts as a tornado and is the first tornado in Chicago since 2006.
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The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications also didn’t receive any reports regarding significant damage or injuries from the tornado, a spokeswoman said.
Several people were on the scene and managed to capture videos and photos of this rare (in Chicago, at least) natural phenomenon. No damage was reported.
The National Weather Service said it was the first tornado in Chicago city limits since a brief F-0 tornado on the Loyola University campus in September 2006.
The whirlwind wasn’t your typical tornado, but rather classified as a landspout since it did not form from a mature thunderstorm.
While a landspout is technically a tornado, it differs from what you may consider a tornado. Second, it’s not attached to a big thunderstorm or strong updraft. The wind’s coming out of the east, but just above the surface, the wind’s coming from different directions.
AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Thompson said it formed on a lake breeze boundary. A cloud developed over the area and the column of air stretched and accelerated, much like how an ice skater pulls in her arms and spins faster, he said. They are usually tubular in shape, like a waterspout.
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Most landspouts are fairly weak and short-lived. But they occasionally cause minor damage.
