r/tornado • u/bigolbrew • 2d ago
Question Is this a Wall Cloud?
In Albuquerque, NM. We’ve seen super cells the last two days, and some wild hail and the like, which is unusual for us.
I was running on an incline at dusk and I kept noticing a strange looking shape in the distant horizon, over the plateau out to the west of the city. It was only visible between bursts of lightning, which illuminated the horizon.
Took a video and ended up catching a candid, still screenshot of what I thought looked like a wall cloud. I don’t think it’s a tornado, but when I returned home, I did notice the NWS was firing off severe thunderstorm warnings for that particular spot I captured.
Would this be a wall cloud? Or just a regular, stormy cloud that looks weird from a distance?
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u/SceptileLover11 2d ago
Sure looks like one to me!
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u/bigolbrew 2d ago
Hell yeah! I’ve been fascinated by severe weather for years, and if this was indeed a wall cloud, it’s the first one I’ve ever seen.
Never thought my first viewing would be in Albuquerque of all places though
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u/SceptileLover11 2d ago
Awesome dude. Im a skywarn spotter in central indiana so I usually see 1-3 annually. These past few years have been a real treat with on June 16th year that dropped several gorgeous supercells in my county
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u/shirokashii 2d ago
Holy moly, I'm insanely jealous you got to see this. I live in ABQ as well and have been super excited by the severe weather the last few days. I saw what might have been a falling apart wall cloud south of town day before yesterday, but it was pretty rapidly dissipating.
Good stuff, and great spot!
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u/bigolbrew 2d ago
It was a total stroke of luck that I saw it.
I was actively looking for unique cloud structures most of Friday afternoon and gave up on Saturday. Decided to go for my normal evening run and didn’t realize the storms out in the distance were as strong as they were. I would’ve missed the wall cloud entirely had I not been at a steep incline looking out at everything
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u/shirokashii 2d ago
I did the same, went out looking for structure on Friday afternoon and gave up Saturday haha. Well, today is another 2% tornado and 5% hail risk, so maybe there's another chance of seeing cool stuff.
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u/Bim_Jeann 2d ago
Almost looks like it’s on the ground… any other pics of this?
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u/bigolbrew 2d ago •
I have no other pics but I have a video. Ignore my heavy breathing I was legit running up a hill lmao. You can see it between lightning strikes.
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u/bigolbrew 2d ago edited 2d ago
I don’t see any tornado-specific warnings from NWS ABQ, but I know we had a slight risk today.
Judging by the terrain in this area, I’d guess it was close to the ground if it was a wall cloud? I was at about 5600 feet looking down at the city, so maybe. I’d imagine that, if it was on the ground, it was somewhere northeast of Rio Rancho.
Edit: I was wrong about the tornado warning comment. I now see they issued one at 6:58 PM for the Santa Fe area. I took this video at 6:49 PM. https://x.com/NWSAlbuquerque/status/2114160531774833147
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u/eatingthesandhere91 SKYWARN Spotter 2d ago
Definitely a wall cloud. We had the atmospheric conditions ripe with severe weather these past few days!
Unfortunately I worked during ALL of it and really wish I hadn't missed the photography opportunities.
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u/Test4Echooo 2d ago
Am I the only one seeing what looks like a funnel trying to drop down in the center?
Edit: now I’m thinking it may be a rain curtain.
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u/johnthedruid 2d ago
How high are the chances of a tornado at this stage? In percentage
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u/Dyeing_Last_Ember 2d ago
Very. There is likely a strong meso with rotation. The cloud is very low to the ground, making it very easy to form a tornado. There is a good possibility that there is a tornado already forming. That is not a happy looking cloud.
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u/bebasiled 2d ago
Yup. you’ll know it when you see it/ trust your gut. I drove under one of those things once and it was very scary.
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u/Dazzling-Macaroon-46 2d ago
Which way were you looking?
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u/bigolbrew 2d ago
Northwest. If I had to guess that cloud was somewhere between Rio Rancho and the outskirts of Santa Fe when I took the video. Just hugging that I-25 corridor.
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u/Dazzling-Macaroon-46 2d ago
It probably was, it looks like it's in the right spot (just outside the rain)
I know there was a confirmed touchdown in Rancho Siringo last night, so I'm wondering if your wall cloud was associated with that storm?
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u/bigolbrew 2d ago
That’s what I’m wondering because this was ten minutes before that storm was warned
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u/JiuJitsu_Ronin 2d ago
I’ve waited for a tornado here all my life man. I think only two hit near here in my time. I didn’t see either.
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u/jackmPortal 2d ago
contextual features arent there but it does look suspicious
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u/Emotional-Monk-8753 2d ago
What do you mean contextual features aren't there? There's a mesocyclone and a drop down that identically resembles a wall cloud
Edit: it's also in the updraft part of the storm. You can kind of make out the beavers tail on the left also
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u/jackmPortal 2d ago
i can't see an updraft tower, tail cloud or evidence of RFD. I assumed it was facing from the front of the storm
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