The updrafts in the lake effect clouds this morning were strong enough to produce small waterspouts.
This shot was taken earlier today near Fair Haven, but waterspouts were observed near Sodus and southwest of Buffalo over Lake Erie. They have since dissipated.
Waterspouts are small tornado-like vorticies which form under intense updrafts in clouds over water.
Around the Great Lakes, they are generally not damaging but can be an issue for boaters. The funnels sometimes make their way on shore and can be a problem for shoreline property owners as the winds in these small circulations can be strong enough to blow things around.
Waterspouts over the Great Lakes are most common in the late summer and early fall when the water is at its warmest and the air, especially at higher altitudes starts to cool down. Heat from the lakes causes strong rising currents of air which support the updrafts necessary to build the clouds and the waterspouts.
You can find out more about waterspouts on the Great Lakes and the research going on about them by going to the International Center for Waterspout Research website.