A devil of a time was being had on the west side of Okanagan Lake in Lake Country and Vernon Monday morning, Dec. 27.
Steam devils – a formation that resembles a tornado cloud – could be seen travelling down the lake.
Kevin Blakely took a collage of four shots from his Lake Country home.
“It’s so amazing watching these form and cruise down the lake,” said Blakely.
Weather Network meteorologist Jaclyn Whittal, who lives in Okanagan Landing, also caught a view of the steam devils.
In an interview with the Morning Star in February of 2021, Whittal explained the phenomenon which had appeared along the lake.
“They happen over the Great Lakes when we get some of the coldest air of the season almost every year,” Whittal said. Temperatures in the Okanagan Monday morning were in the Minus 25 degrees Celsius range.
“We’re getting a very cold Arctic outbreak right now and it’s all to do with the difference in water temperature in the air above. This triggers convection…steam can form right above the water. Rising air from the warm lake water can also create some wind shear and that steam can be drawn into a vortex. This vortex displays this magnificent phenomenon the steam devil.”
Temperatures in the Okanagan are expected to be at about Minus 18 C through Tuesday, then warms up to Minus 9 C on Wednesday.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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