No, those weren't funnel clouds. NWS explains the scud clouds seen in Iowa's skies.

While Wednesday's storm rolled in, Iowans pointed their fingers at what looked like tornadoes trying to touch down. But they weren't funnel clouds. Instead, scud clouds are to blame for reports of possible tornadic activity.

So, what are scud clouds and why are they mistaken for tornadoes?

What are scud clouds?

Scud clouds are a type of cloud formation that are "low, ragged cloud fragments that can sometimes be located near the updraft region of the storm," according to a storm spotting guide from the National Weather Service .

They are typically associated with shelf clouds, which are also often mistaken for tornadic activity .

How do scud clouds form?

Scud clouds are formed when cooler air meets warm, humid air, said Brad Small, a NWS meteorologist.

"They're not severely hazardous in any way, shape or form," he said. "They're just low-hanging, and they look kind of menacing, but they don't have any severe weather threat with them."

Why do scud clouds look like tornadoes?

The National Weather Service in Des Moines received reports of funnel clouds during Wednesday's storm. However, they dispelled the fear of tornadic activities on social media as the storm rolled in around 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"Scud clouds can look like funnels or triangles or wedges in the air," Small said. "The thing that differentiates scud clouds from funnel clouds or actual tornadoes is they need to be rotating in a vertical axis and rotating quite rapidly."

Funnel clouds are also smoother than scud clouds.

"We compared the meteorological conditions and what we saw on radar together to determine that they were not funnel clouds or tornadoes and not really a severe weather threat," he said.

Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: No, those weren't funnel clouds. NWS explains the scud clouds seen in Iowa's skies.