WeatherWatcher: Last week's strong thunderstorm, week ahead calmer, mostly Spring

 

Significant hail in downtown Seattle Wednesday April 15, 2026.
Photo by John Boril

Last Wednesday we had a serious thunderstorm develop out of the active Puget Sound Convergence Zone. Storms like this between Bremerton and Seattle are common once or twice a year during the spring or fall. Fun fact, that east west line is where most recorded Puget Sound tornados or waterspouts have occurred.

This thunderstorm brought a lot of hail to the downtown Seattle area as well as Kitsap Peninsula and Bellevue. In addition to the heavy hail, and winds, shortly after 3 PM PDT a waterspout formed on Puget Sound about 2-3 miles west of Magnolia before the storm moved all the way into the Seattle area. 

For those keeping track, the difference between a waterspout and a tornado is one forms over water, the other forms over land.

Radar image 3:25 PM PDT April 15, 2026.
From the National Weather Service

The radar image that afternoon shows a nice red spot where the waterspout activity was, and where the core of the hail fall was before it tracked southeast into downtown Seattle. Generally, in an east west pattern everyone from about West Seattle all the way to south Everett was under the thunderstorm activity in this active convergence zone band.

Forecast: The weather for the next 7 days should be much calmer, and more spring like. We have another partly sunny day on track for Monday with high temperatures near 70°F. Tuesday brings an approaching system that is expected to bring us a round of rain Tuesday afternoon and evening. High temperature is still expected to reach 60°F. 

Wednesday starts to transition back to dry weather with only a chance of showers in the morning and afternoon, but cooler with highs in the 50's. Thursday through next Sunday is looking sunny with high temperatures reaching the low to mid 60's every day.

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