The formation of the ethereal steam devil is quite similar to the formation of a fire tornado. In this case, the first frost of the season cooled air temperatures substantially below the temperature of the water of the lake, creating conditions for steam and for updrafts of rising, warmer air. A slight breeze across the lake is enough to create pockets of vorticity, which stretch due to the updrafts and intensify due to conservation of angular momentum. This creates the narrow spinning vortex filaments that pull steam up and dance across the lake’s surface. #
Steam Devils
