'Ghostly fog' caught on camera the moment it rips car mirror off police vehicle leaves officers scared and meteorologists scrambling for an answer

[Cheryl Nelson]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2492151/Ghostly-fog-caught-camera-moment-rips-car-mirror-police-vehicle-leaves-officers-scared-meteorologists-scrambling-answer.html

[Cheryl Nelson]

Thanks for the insight.

[Jim Balister]

Keith, I am with you.  Something from another dimension.   If it was here in 3d it should have been better formed.

[Cheryl Nelson]

Yes, I read about temperature differences, but it seems that the temperatures are usually extreme.  According to wunderground.com almanac, the high was 61* and the low was 36*.  It was daytime when it happened, so it was on the upper end, but 61* isn't extreme.  Is it still possible?

[Cheryl Nelson]

I saw a tornadic swirl outside my backdoor years ago.  However, it didn't have a foggy look to it.  It was "seen" because of the leaves it had picked up and were swirling around. 

It wasn't clear that the parking lot has had more than just one.  If so, that would be unusual.  What was unusual is the temperature.  Dust devils are common in arid, hot places like the US Southwest, and desert countries.  While being said to form on asphalt is common (presumably because of the necessary hot surface air), the high in Hartford, CT, on Wednesday was only 48 degrees. 

Another consideration is that the "dust devil" wasn't very big and not likely strong enough to knock a mirror off a car.  Those mirrors can handle freeway speeds of 65-75 mph or better for extended periods of time.  The dust devil didn't impact the car long enough to cause damage, or so it seems.