Snow, hail and waterspout hit Seattle in rare April weather event

Snow in Seattle? In April? Multiple areas of the city reported seeing heavy hail and even snow Wednesday afternoon.

Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, residents sent in video to Seattle Submissions, a social media outlet covering Seattle news and entertainment, capturing downtown Seattle blanketed in snow.

Downtown Seattle is currently covered in hail and snow. SEATTLE WHAT’S GOING ON? 🌨️☔️ Video credit @jupo.jp pic.twitter.com/A86Vf38Q71

— SEATTLESUBMISSIONS (@SEATTLESUBMISS) April 15, 2026

Snow has been documented in Seattle as late as March 21, dating back to 2012, but April snow is unprecedented. The latest-ever snowfall recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (the official observing site for Seattle) was 1.2 inches on April 17, 1972. April snow additionally occurred in 1968 and 1975.

Jonathan Choe, a journalist for the Discovery Institute, captured more snowfall in Seattle.

HAPPENING NOW: Today is Wednesday April 15 and it is snowing in Seattle. Or at least part of the city.
Witnesses say this is confined to an area near that unusual “watersprout” or mini tornado over Elliott Bay.
Freak weather. https://t.co/8mCdhkgjM8 pic.twitter.com/14Elv4h8RM

— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) April 15, 2026

Waterspout forms over Puget Sound

Additionally, a waterspout was spotted forming over the Puget Sound near downtown Seattle.

Waterspout spotted over Puget Sound near downtown Seattle rare funnel cloud stretching to the water officials warn to stay off the water pic.twitter.com/4IUzpRsu56

— SEATTLESUBMISSIONS (@SEATTLESUBMISS) April 15, 2026

City officials warned residents to stay off the water.

A waterspout, described by meteorologists as a tornado over water, is a rotating column of air and water spray that connects a cumulus cloud to a body of water.

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