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A steam devil floating across the pool at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was formed due to the cold air temp and warm water temps creating steam and moved at around 10 mph due to the brisk evening breeze.

A steam devil is the term used to describe a rotating updraft that involves steam or smoke. Steam devils usually occur above power plants, and rarely occur elsewhere, though they may occur in deserts or other dry and arid locations. Hot springs may also be a suitable area for a steam devil to form. Cold air steam devils have also been reported.

See also

• Fire whirl
• Dust devil
• Waterspout
• Tornado

Further reading

• Lyons, WA and Pease SR, "'Steam Devils' over Lake Michigan during a January arctic outbreak", Monthly Weather Review, vol 100, pp235-237, March 1972. Retrieved 28 November 2008 from NOAA archives - includes picture of the month.