I was in a lab at the university at the coastal plain in North Carolina when outside there was a huge wind event that came out of nowhere. It was strong and carried debris a long distance, people in the parking lot shielded their eyes from dust and people wrapped their coats around them. It lasted minutes, hmmm, maybe as long as ten, but, then it was over as quick as it happened.
I immediately went to the computer and saw this which has manifested at least an hour before the event. It is off the east coast of North America. I called it a "Tropospheric Tornado." I am convinced it caused the wind event I witnessed. It was a far distance from shore, but, the arching water vapor pulled into it, is hugely evident.
I down loaded it to the blog when I discovered it.
I believe perhaps the 'stable' air mass offshore of west North America noted below is the same phenomena. If not the same, then very similar. Rather than rotating around the Earth, there enough velocity in the upper troposphere by the air moving toward the continent that it causes a low pressure manifested in a hemispheric/tropospheric tornado. It had limited duration this day in March of 2005 as any tornado would. The one on the west coast today is a curiosity to it's duration and ultimate manifestation.
Once I saw the picture evidence from photographers the nature of what might be off the west coast today brought this to memory.
