What is a waterspout?

A tornadic waterspout usually begins as a real tornado with a thunderstorm, then moves out onto the water. They can be huge and are able to do some serious damage. Fair weather waterspouts only form over water. They form at the surface of the lake and slowly crawl skyward in with warm water and high humidity in the first couple thousand feet of air. They are usually small, mostly short, and not as hazardous. The fair weather waterspouts are much more regular than tornadic waterspouts.