Steaming Greeting

There is drama in vapor: this photo of a misty isle, aka Wells Island, in the Columbia just northwest of Hood River, shows that the wonder of nature is worth getting up for at 8 a.m. on a Sunday. The curious column of … something … at right, hung and shifted for a few minutes, long enough for Adam Lapierre to capture it. The image aroused a healthy debate in the newsroom over what meteorological phenomenon we might be looking at. Cold water meets colder air and the result is a serene natural moment. Does the sinewy steam column merit “water spout” status or is it some other category of vaporous formation? We welcome feedback on the science behind this splendor, at hrnews@hoodrivernews.com, or on Facebook. The best answer will bring a prize of – what else? — at the café of your choice, a steaming cup of coffee.