Seven landspout tornadoes confirmed across Alberta

There were seven landspout tornadoes across Alberta between May 17 and May 18, Environment and Climate Change Canada, in collaboration with the Northern Tornadoes Project, has confirmed.

There were three on May 17. The first was near Crestmore, followed by another near Didsbury, and one near Olds. All three tornadoes were rated as EF0.

On Monday, there was another tornado near Olds, one near Garfield, another near Gull Lake, and one near Blackfalds. These were also rated as an EF0.

Landspout tornadoes are a type of tornado that forms from the ground upward, rather than descending from a rotating thunderstorm mesocyclone like a classic supercell tornado. They’re usually smaller and weaker than typical tornadoes and shorter-lived.

Landspout tornadoes are actually fairly common in Alberta compared to many other parts of Canada.