HOUSTON – Strong thunderstorms developed north of Houston Friday afternoon and moved south through portions of the metro area. Rotation was observed in one thunderstorm cell near The Woodlands and a funnel cloud was spotted shortly after 6 p.m. in the Tomball area from the same system. No tornado touchdown was reported and no tornado warnings were issued.
As of 8:30 p.m. Friday, no damage reports have been filed from the Tomball area. This would indicate that the funnel never reached the ground and became a tornado.
If damage is eventually reported and the National Weather Service determines it was from tornadic activity, the funnel cloud could be re-classified as a weak tornado at a later time.
As of 8:30 p.m. Friday, the storms over Metro Houston were fading with stronger cells still active well west of the city. The entire line of storms is expected to diminish in strength through the mid-evening hours as temperatures drop and the atmosphere stabilizes.
A photo, taken by KPRC 2 viewer Kristen Swonke, and later shared by Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Hermann, gained a lot of interest on social media. Swonke took the photo near Louetta Road and Strack Drive.
A video of the cloud was later shared with us by KPRC 2 viewer Mathew Hinson. Watch that video below: