An impressive waterspout accompanied by a large storm cloud surprised residents of southwest Florida this Friday, where the sky displayed a natural spectacle rarely seen in the region.
The National Weather Service of Miami–South Florida (NWS) confirmed on X that it received several reports of waterspouts along the cold front moving through the Gulf of Mexico during the afternoon.
He also described the presence of an "impressive shelf cloud," a massive arc-shaped formation typically preceding severe storms and heralding the arrival of strong winds and heavy rain.
According to data from the NWS, the Naples weather station (KAPF) recorded wind gusts of up to 47 miles per hour (about 75 kilometers per hour) just before 2 PM.
For that reason, a wind advisory remained in effect for Collier County until seven o'clock in the evening.
The images shared by residents and sailors showed a well-defined column of water above the sea and a dark, cloudy front advancing towards the shore, while some witnesses described the moment as "impressive and terrifying at the same time."
Marine waterspouts—tornadoes of water formed by swirling air over the ocean—are common in the Florida peninsula during the passage of cold fronts or local storms, but they are rarely seen with such clarity and magnitude.
The unusual natural spectacle became a viral topic on social media, where dozens of users shared videos of the phenomenon with the sky tinted in shades of gray and blue over the gulf.
On the other hand, Florida has once again recorded an unusual phenomenon for the so-called "Sunshine State": snow.
This Sunday, January 18, the city of Marianna, in Jackson County in the northwest of the state, became the epicenter of the event, where snowfall was reported for several hours.
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