Farmer Jessica Daves was changing out irrigation water when she saw the funnel clouds form along the Montezuma-Dolores county line.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was real calm, then it got real windy, and I saw them above the farm. Soon after, it began to hail,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was pretty crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The largest funnel looked like it might touch ground, thereby becoming a tornado.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was trying, with dirt kicking up from the ground below the funnel above,\u201d Daves said. \u201cAfter five minutes, it had dissipated.\u201d<\/p>\n
After hearing the report, the National Weather Service issued a significant weather advisory for the area, said Jim Pringle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were two good storms at that time in that area with high winds and hail,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Funnel clouds become tornadoes after they touch ground. Pringle said they are caused by low-level wind shear that gets caught in the updraft of the thunderstorm, causing the clouds to rotate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will sometimes cause funnel clouds or tornadoes, and other times it does not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
There have been three tornadoes documented in western Colorado and eastern Utah this year, according to the weather service.<\/p>\n
On June 6, one hit in San Juan County, Utah; on June 15, one touched down northeast of Vernal, Utah; and on July 9, a tornado touched down near the Powderhorn Ski resort at 8,500 feet, wiping out an aspen grove.<\/p>\n
There have been three documented tornadoes in Montezuma County since 1970, according to the weather service.<\/p>\n
On July 18, 2011, one was reported near Towaoc, breaking apart a cottonwood tree. On April 25, 1985, an F2 Category tornado touched down 15 miles southeast of Cortez and tracked for one mile. It caused $25,000 in damage. On Sept. 5, 1970, an F2 tornado touched down 8 miles south of Cortez and tracked for two miles, causing $25,000 in damage.<\/p>\n