Wall Clouds

• by George Bailey • Published: July 13, 2007

Wall clouds are one of the many natural phenomena you’re likely to encounter on your Branson vacation. A wall cloud is a cloud that (surprise, surprise) looks like a wall. Be warned, however, that what looks like a wall cloud may in fact be a tornado, and although that is probably a bigger concern in places with fewer hills than there are in Branson, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Below are a few steps to help you distinguish between a wall cloud and its optical twin: the tornado. Determine the color. Is it a) white as an Alaskan winter? b) cream-colored and about as ominous as a scoop of french-vanilla ice-cream? c) storm-grey, opaque, threatening enough to make a train take a dirt road? As any Midwesterner will tell you, options a and b are harmless wall clouds; sit back and enjoy a customary Midwestern natural event. On the other hand, option c might mean trouble. In that case, you’d be wise to ask a Branson Hotel representative for a second opinion.