Anvils are the flat, spreading top of a cumulonimbus cloud. Thunderstorm anvils may spread hundreds of miles downwind from the thunderstorm itself. Sometimes, they may even spread upwind.

Not all tornadoes originate from a mesocyclone or even a supercell. One type of non-supercell tornado is a land spout. Landspout tornadoes occur as the parent storm cloud is in its growth stage with the spin originating in the boundary layer of the storm.

storms 101 Archives - Tornado Titans

Q: What are updrafts and downdrafts?

From the NWS Glossary: Updraft - A small-scale current of rising air. If the air is sufficiently moist, then the moisture condenses to become a cumulus cloud or an individual tower of a towering cumulus or Cb. Downdraft - A small-scale column of air that rapidly sinks toward the ground, usually accompanied by precipitation as in a shower or thunderstorm. A downburst is the result of a strong downdraft.

Q: What is the rear flank downdraft?

The rear flank downdraft (RFD) is a key ingredient in tornado formation in supercell thunderstorms. The RFD is a region of air (usually dry) subsiding on the back side of a mesocyclone that then wraps around the mess. It is often visible as a clear slot wrapping around the wall cloud.

Q: Visually Discerning the Strength of a Thunderstorm by the Updraft's Appearance

You don't need radar to know how a storm is doing. Typically, a storm will give a pretty sure sign as to how strong or how weak it is by its visual cues.

Q: A Primer on Tornado Formation...

How tornadoes form is one o the biggest questions facing atmospheric scientists today. However, we do know a lot of the 'whys' of tornado formation. Most tornadoes form from what we call supercell thunderstorms. These storms have a rotating updraft known as a mesocyclone, which creates the processes necessary for tornado formation.

Q: How to anticipate tornado possibilities with regards to cloud base height in supercells

You can tell how likely a storm may be to produce tornadoes by the height of its cloud base. Generally a storm with lower cloud bases will pose a greater tornado risk than a storm with higher cloud bases.