Tornadoes come in all shapes and sizes

AccuWeather

Just like snowflakes, no two tornadoes are the same. While there are more than a dozen different types of tornadoes, AccuWeather's Ariella Scalese explains four that can occur when there is severe weather.

Transcript

00:00From ropes to wedges, tornadoes come in all shapes and sizes, and just like snowflakes,

00:05no two twisters are exactly the same. While there are more than a dozen different types,

00:09today we will show you four types of tornadoes that can occur when there's severe weather.

00:14Luckily, our own Tony Laubach is constantly storm chasing and was able to provide me a

00:18visual example with each one. We start with the most destructive and catastrophic tornadoes,

00:24the massive wedge tornadoes, which can grow to be over a mile in diameter. Wedge tornadoes

00:29are known for their wide appearance and often look as wide as they are tall. These tornadoes

00:34can cause extensive damage due to their size and intensity. Some of the most iconic photos

00:39of tornadoes are those depicting cone tornadoes. As their name suggests, they are shaped like

00:43an ice cream cone and become narrower as they extend downward towards the ground. Cone tornadoes

00:50are most common and can cause significant damage. The smallest type of tornado is the rope tornado,

00:55named after their long, thin appearance. They are generally weaker and short-lived compared

01:00to wedge and cone tornadoes. However, they can still cause localized damage and are often seen

01:05at the beginning or end of a tornado's life cycle. A landspout can look like a tornado,

01:11but a closer look reveals that the two differ in origins. Unlike tornadoes spawned by rotating

01:18thunderstorms, landspouts start as a column of spitting air near the ground and are not connected

01:22to the base of a rotating thunderstorm. They tend to be weaker and short-lived, but stronger

01:27landspouts can produce damage similar to tornadoes. Tornadoes are some of the most extreme weather

01:33events on Earth. No matter their shape or size, every type of twister can be dangerous. Stay safe

01:38and have a tornado safety plan when severe weather is in the forecast.

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