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WATCH: 'Steamnado' vortex appears over Lake Lewisville

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Published  January 25, 2026 7:40pm CST
Winter Weather
FOX 4
WATCH: 'Steamnado' pops up over Lake Lewisville during winter storm

WATCH: 'Steamnado' pops up over Lake Lewisville during winter storm

A so-called 'steamnado' popped up over Lake Lewisville on Saturday as the winter storm impacted weather across North Texas. FOX 4 chief meteorologist Dan Henry says it's a vortex caused by arctic air blowing over relatively warm waters, which causes a tremendous amount of steam. As the air converges, it causes a vortex of steam over the lake. It’s also known as a steam spout.

The Brief

    • A so-called ‘steamnado’ appeared over Lake Lewisville during this weekend's North Texas winter storm.
    • The arctic winds from the storm caused a tremendous amount of steam to appear over the lake, and when swept up by the winds, it creates a vortex.
    • The phenomenon comes as North Texas cities saw anywhere from 1 to 5 inches of snow during the extreme arctic blast the region began to experience on Friday, Jan. 23.

LEWISVILLE, Texas - Here's something you don't see every day: a ‘steamnado’ made an appearance over Lake Lewisville on Sunday during the winter storm.

A vortex of steam

FOX 4 chief meteorologist Dan Henry says this phenomenon is somewhat common when arctic winds move in. 

He explains that it's a vortex caused by arctic air blowing over relatively warm waters, which causes a tremendous amount of steam. 

As the air converges, it causes a vortex of steam over the lake. 

It’s also known as a steam spout.

What you can do:

See anything cool during this winter storm? Send us your pictures and videos! We might use your footage during a newscast or on social media.

You can submit photos or videos above.

The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 4 weather team and viewer-submitted videos.

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