But, other strong winds can blast down from thunderstorms or even relatively small showers. Such downbursts can bring winds faster than 100 mph, which can do as much damage as weak tornadoes. Supercells are best seen on the western Plains. Farther east, where the air is more humid, haze or other clouds often hide much of a supercell. The best view of supercells is from airliners.
Pilots stay far away from supercells.
Jets usually cruise at altitudes from 30,000 to 40,000 feet. The top of a Plains supercell can be 50,000 to 60,000 feet high. From the safety of an airplane window seat you can often see supercells rising above other clouds. From the air they look peaceful, unless you know what they are and what could be happening on the ground as a supercell spins out tornado after tornado along with large hail and 100 mph downbursts.