Funnel cloud spotted near Vacaville as thunderstorms strike parts of Bay Area

VACAVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- A funnel cloud was spotted near Vacaville in Solano County on Wednesday as thunderstorms struck parts of the Bay Area.

ABC7 News viewers captured it with both video and pictures.

A funnel cloud is a tight rotating column of air (that is often the start of a tornado) that never reaches the ground.

MORE: Video captures possible funnel cloud in Sonoma County

Just after 11 a.m. Thursday, a funnel cloud was reported near the town of Two Rock in Sonoma County - about 15 minutes west of Petaluma.

Storms can produce funnel clouds, but never produce a tornado.

A tornado on the other hand, is when that rotating column of air, and that tight circulation reaches the ground - and it then can cause damage.

So a funnel cloud stays up in the sky, and it doesn't become a tornado until it actually reaches the ground.