Note: I originally wrote this article for the General Aviation Council of Hawaii Fall 2013 newsletter, following a particularly busy couple of weeks. Hopefully you will still find it interesting and educational. –JB
During a period of unsettled weather at the beginning of this month [October, 2013], National Weather Service spotters have reported water spouts, funnel clouds, and dust devils on many different days. We have also received a number of questions about the differences between these features and others, such as tornadoes. This is a good opportunity to review the differences between these features, and look at the hazards to aviation that they pose.