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This threatening cloud rolled into northern Bexar County, Texas on Friday morning, stunning onlookers in the area.
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The storm moved toward Canyon Lake and dropped heavy rain and nickel-size hail.
Although you may think it's something out of from Ghostbusters or Independence Day, be secured, it's only a shelf cloud.
This type of cloud is normally associated with a thunderstorm gust front or occasionally with a cold front, even in the absence of thunderstorms.
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A rising cloud motion often can be seen in the leading part of the shelf cloud, while the underside often appears turbulent, boiling, and wind-torn.
Most false tornado and false funnel cloud reports are associated with shelf clouds.
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Shelf clouds are low-hanging, horizontal cloud features attached to the front side of lines of storms or even a single storm.
© Kens5.com
Usually there isn't any persistent rotation on a vertical axis within shelf clouds or within individual cloud fragments that extend downward from the shelf cloud, therefore they are just another scary-looking cloud.
© Kens5.com
Shelf clouds often resemble snow plows, big waves or tsunamis. Sometimes they may found only a couple hundred feet above the ground.
Meanwhile,
Mississippi,
Alabama and
Oklahoma have also been hit by tornadic extreme weather.
"Be Secured?"
How about "Be 'Assured?'"
R.C.