The atmosphere is complex, and invisible vortexes twist around us all the time. It just takes something to give them form, anything from dust to fire to snow. Here's a rundown of more than a dozen different spinning weather phenomena.

Dust devils

Form on a hot, calm day

Strength: Weak to medium

Danger: Minimal to moderate

One of the most common forms of spin in the atmosphere is the dust devil. They are formed when the ground heats significantly while the air above remains cool. A less dense pocket of warm air rises, and more follows.

As the column of air begins to rotate, cool air eventually descends in the middle of the vortex, causing it to move along the ground as a chimney of sorts.

Dust devils are generally seen on hot days when winds are calm. Otherwise, the temperature diffe

See Full Page