Top Tweets for #SteamDevil
🟥 ⛅️ A steam devil
Is a rare, transient vortex phenomenon resembling a miniature whirlwind or dust devil but composed of condensed water vapor (steam) rather than dust or debris.
❤️ 🔁 #SteamDevil #ArcticSeaSmoke
🎞️ @pawleewurx
▶️ Forming a small, rotating column typically 1-2 meters (3-6 feet) in diameter and 3-10 meters (10-33 feet) tall.
It appears as a faint, swirling plume of white or grayish fog against a cold backdrop, often twisting erratically with low rotational speeds (under 10-20 mph) and a short lifespan of seconds to minutes, dissipating quickly upon contact with drier air.
Steam devils are most commonly observed in winter over open water bodies like lakes, rivers, or wetlands where steam fog (arctic sea smoke) is prevalent, or near geothermal features such as geysers and hot springs in areas like Yellowstone National Park or Lake Texoma.
Unlike more intense vortices, they pose no significant hazard but serve as visual indicators of strong temperature contrasts between air and surface, enhancing atmospheric mixing and heat transfer.
▶️ Steam devils arise from the interaction of cold, dry air with a much warmer underlying surface, typically in stable but slightly unstable boundary layers during calm to light wind conditions.
When frigid air (often below freezing) flows over heated water or steam-emitting vents, at temperature differentials exceeding 10-20°C (18-36°F), rapid evaporation occurs, saturating the air and causing condensation into visible steam fog as the moist parcels rise buoyantly due to their lower density.
This upward motion creates localized low-pressure zones at the surface; if ambient wind shear or minor turbulence introduces rotation (via horizontal vorticity tilting into the vertical), the rising steam organizes into a self-sustaining vortex, drawing in surrounding fog and amplifying the spin through conservation of angular momentum.
Akin to the formation of dust devils but driven by latent heat release from condensation rather than solar heating of the ground.
The process, which can spawn multiple devils in clusters, lasts only briefly as the vortex entrains drier air aloft, cooling and dispersing the steam.
Analogous phenomena include fire devils over wildfires, highlighting thermal instability's role in mesoscale vorticity generation.
An apparent #SteamDevil was spotted over Cedar Creek Reservoir, just southeast of Dallas, as cold temperatures and wind generated a unique vortex!
#TXwx
Steam Devil outbreak! Caught dozens of these Steam Devils, aka fog vortexs this morning along the Shenandoah River in Port Republic, VA.
Small whirlwinds can form over water and draw in fog, making these awesome little vortex's visible, and giving us a show! #vawx #steamdevil
Image of the Week: When this stinking cold out, might as well take advantage photographically.
One among several nice "steam devils" that swirled through the #fog yesterday morning at #LakeThunderbird:
https://t.co/kUmB2voGB0
#Oklahoma #NaturePhotography #SteamDevil
This morning was the perfect setup for a #SteamDevil over #OkanaganLake — this captured from the Gellatly area of Westbank/#WestKelowna #BC looking toward Kelowna.
H/T 📸: Ellie Thornhill on FB who granted me permission to share the photo to Twitter/X
#BCwx #BCstorm #BCcold
Frigid air and warm(ish) water made for some crazy #steamdevil action this morning! #steamnado #idkwhattocallthese #vorticity #sdwx #lsmwx #weather
We just witnessed several "steam devils" dancing around @MissoulaAirport. Steam devils develop as wet ground rapidly heats, with air above remaining relatively cold. Here's one with a well-developed condensation funnel. #mtwx #science #weather #steamdevil #Missoula
Thankfully it was brief. It will, none the less, remain memorable. 🥶💨🌪️
.
#vt #vermont #polarvortex #bittercold #steamdevil #burlingtonvt #burlington #newengland
Here's a look at a pretty impressive steam devil on Lake Champlain captured by one of our meteorologists.
Sooo much weather happening in North America today.. Check out this #SteamDevil on #LakeChamplain
WMO Def: A whirling column of saturated air of varying height, w/ a small diameter and an nearly vertical axis, that forms when cold air is over a relatively much warmer body of H20
Here's a look at a pretty impressive steam devil on Lake Champlain captured by one of our meteorologists.
Another "oh my it's that cold moment"... Never seen this before. #steamdevil
Here's a look at a pretty impressive steam devil on Lake Champlain captured by one of our meteorologists.
Went to school at @uvmvermont and never got to see a #SteamDevil - this looks pretty dang big. I did walk out on that frozen lake in February though after a night visiting local establishments Church & Main Streets
Nice #SteamDevil capture likely over #Okanagan Lake - expect to see more with the lake still not frozen and very cold temps above.
@wilfmulder - be sure to watch for em!
This was spotted West Kelowna this afternoon pic taken by Anthony Bucci on British Columbia Photos group #bcstorm
Very nice example of a steam devil in Kelowna, BC today shot by my good friend @Thing1_Tokyo. So peaceful
Can you see it? 👀 Melting snow & evaporation created this cool sight of steam devils swirling near @DENAirport in Denver, #Colorado on Thursday!🌪️🌪️ #COwx #SteamDevil
Video Credit: @Cheryl_Searle
What is this? A steam devil in B.C.? Again? In March this time and in @miawgordon 's neck of the woods in Squamish!! Check out the video by me and the article by Dan Martin https://t.co/IBYeLlbrxP
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