Funnel cloud advisory ends with Yellowknife still standing

An unusual funnel cloud advisory issued for Yellowknife and the NWT’s Tłı̨chǫ communities, warning of the possibility of weak tornadoes, has ended.

The advisory, issued by Environment Canada at noon on Tuesday, stated conditions in the North Slave region were “favourable for the development of funnel clouds.”

However, the alert was terminated at 6:20pm. Environment Canada said conditions had improved.

There had been no reports to Cabin Radio of any funnel cloud development or sightings in the area.

The earlier advisory had told residents: “These types of funnel clouds are generated by weak rotation under rapidly growing clouds or weak thunderstorms.

“This weak rotation is normally not a danger near the ground. However, there is a chance that this rotation could intensify and become a weak landspout tornado.

“Treat any funnel cloud sighting seriously. Should a funnel cloud develop nearby, prepare to take shelter. These funnel clouds usually appear with little or no warning.”

Tornadoes are almost unheard-of in the Northwest Territories but there have been occasional reports of them touching down.

Most recently, Fort Smith experienced what researchers concluded was likely a weak tornado in early June 2019.

More than once, Yellowknife has in the past received warnings of events like funnel clouds only for them to have turned out to be errors or temporary glitches.

This one, however, remained on Environment Canada’s website and was also tweeted by the organization’s Twitter account dedicated to its Yellowknife station. The prospect of funnel clouds on Tuesday was also expressly forecast in the agency’s more detailed thunderstorm outlook for its Mackenzie region.