HOUGHTON — Local social media pages light up Wednesday with photos of what appeared to be funnel cloud north east of Houghton/Hancock, presumably in the Calumet area. While there were no reports of the funnel touching down, it still garnered plenty of attention with several “tornado sightings” reported throughout the afternoon.

While the cloud formation certainly resembled a tornado, the official word from the National Weather service is that is was something much more benign. “We believe this to be a cold air funnel, which can form in showers when the air is very cold aloft,” said Dan Thompson

Science and Operations Officer, at the National Weather Service Marquette Office.

According to information from the National Weather Service, cold air funnels form beneath showers or weak thunder

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