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  "path": "/2026/05/funnel-cloud-in-lowlands-and.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-16T18:29:52.218Z",
  "site": "https://cliffmass.blogspot.com",
  "textContent": "Very active spring weather has been occurring over the Northwest, with substantial snow above 4000 ft and unstable air that has brought heavy showers and even a mini-tornado!\n\nFirst, the snow. Here is a cam shot this morning at Paradise (Mt. Rainier) at around 5400 ft. Impressive snowfall!\n\n\n\n\nHurricane Ridge on the Olympic Mountains (around 5200 ft). Beautiful\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEven the relatively low elevation of Stevens Pass (around 4000 ft) received significant snowfall.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAll of this white bounty is the result of very cold, unstable air moving into our region, which is illustrated by the visible satellite image this morning (below).\n\n\n\n\nThe blue arrow points to the unstable air, characterized by showers and sunbreaks. The instability showers are driven by a large change in temperatures with height, with cold arctic air passing over relatively warm water.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSince current, low-level winds are from the west, there are rainshadow regions downstream of the Olympics and Cascades (areas of lack of clouds are evident there).\n\n\n\n\nSubstantial new snow has been falling above 4500 ft, such as at Paradice on Mountain Rainer, where nearly 15 inches have fallen (see below)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPrecipitation over the region during the past 48 hr has been substantial, with many locations in the mountains getting 2-3 inches of liquid water (the observations are shown below).\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAs I have discussed in previous blogs, the claims of extreme drought over the region are inconsistent with the facts on the ground (and in the air). There will be plenty of water this summer for all uses, particularly with the full reservoirs of the region.\n\n\n\n\nSnowpack was low, but substantial, and well-timed total precipitation (which was NOT below normal) ensures that water will not be a problem this summer.\n\n\n\n\n**Now for the fun part of the blog.....we had another funnel cloud over Puget Sound....a mini-tornado if you like.**\n\n\n\n\nOne formed yesterday (Friday) over southwest Seattle around 8 PM. The rotating cloud was captured by Matt Young, a relative of one of my colleagues at the UW.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis weak tornadic event was associated with a modest area of convection (cumulonimbus clouds), which is apparent in the radar image around 8 PM (below).\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFunnel clouds associated with weak cumulus convection (produced by unstable air) are not unusual over Puget Sound. There is a lot of horizontal wind shear around here (winds changing rapidly in distance), with wind shear having essential rotation (see schematic below).\n\n\n\n\nThe upward motion in convection can \"spin up\" this rotation into a weak vortex....something I have blogged about many times before.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPuget Sound Convergence Zones are famous for being associated with such weak funnels, something I describe in my Northwest weather book.\n\n\n\n\nPuget Sound is not Oklahoma, where several thunderstorms and tornadoes are frequently threatening. But weak convective funnels occur all the time around the Puget Sound region.",
  "title": "Funnel Cloud in the Lowlands and Substantial Snow in the Mountains",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-17T03:57:37.902Z"
}