Shelf cloud: Photos, video show severe weather in Toledo area

TOLEDO, Ohio — Tuesday morning brought a line of storms through southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio, including a particularly impressive meteorological sight: a shelf cloud. Viewers across the region sent in photos of the phenomenon, which are included in this story.

According to the National Weather Service, a shelf cloud is associated with squall lines and can bring severe, damaging winds. A shelf cloud is most easily identified by its horizontal shape, and is often large enough to cover the entire horizon, the agency said on their website. 

When a shelf cloud passes over an area, it brings first wind, then rain. It can also bring brief, spin-up tornadoes, the NWS said, though those are often “rain-wrapped and short-lived.”

A shelf cloud is sometimes mistaken for a wall cloud. According to the NWS, a wall cloud is more vertically-oriented and is typically …