A rare landspout touched down in the Maine town of Denmark on Tuesday.
The cold air funnel created a landspout in Denmark around noon, according to the National Weather Service.
A landspout is essentially a weak tornado. A tornado forms from a supercell thunderstorm. A tornado has large-scale circulation and develops well above the ground. A landspout is not associated with large-scale rotation and develops near the ground.
The landspout formed because temperatures high up in the atmosphere are unusually cold for this time of year. The difference between that very cold air above and the milder temperatures closer to the ground led to the formation of thunderstorms in western Maine Tuesday.
These storms brought small hail and heavy rain, and with enough “spin” in the atmosphere, a cold air funnel formed and was able to reach down to the ground in Denmark.
Minor tree damage was reported in Denmark along with building damage to sheds and a barn, according to the weather service.
Wind speeds were estimated to be around 55 mph.