Today we're going to discuss microbursts, they're kind of the opposite of a tornado. Instead of air being pulled through a small rotating tube into a warm thunderstorm updraft, a microburst is a pocket of cool air shooting down from a thunderstorm and expanding when hitting the ground.
A dry microburst occurs when the air hitting the ground from a storm doesn't contain any moisture, they are most noticable when they kick up debris, here's a photo I took in Castle Rock, Colorado:
A wet microburst is when moisture reaches the ground with the microburst, I actually took this picture when I was working at Pizza Hut in Peyton, Colorado:
Microbursts are fairly common here in Colorado, if you're under a burst of rain that seems to be forced to the ground faster than gravity can take it, you may be under a microburst. Not all microbursts are violent in nature, so odds are you'll encounter at least a small one at some point in time if you experience enough thunderstorms. That said, microbursts have had the stength of a strong tornado (EF2/3). Just stay aware during a thunderstorm, it will keep you safe and allow you to truly enjoy their power and beauty more!
My next topic of discussion will be how a dust devil can turn into a tornado, until then stay weather aware!
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