WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Sunset drama and snow chances, with icy thunderstorms too

(Tonight at sunset – photo by David Hutchinson)

7:02 PM: Will those clouds bring snow? Or maybe these?

(Tonight at sunset – photo by James Bratsanos)

Here’s the latest on tonight’s possibility, from the National Weather Service:

Rain showers, snow showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers after midnight. Snow level near 500 feet, decreasing to 100 feet after midnight. Snow accumulation up to 1 inch. Lows in the upper 20s to mid 30s

Please let us know if you see snow – texting our hotline, 206-293-6302, is always fastest!

7:07 PM: Literally two minutes after we published this, thunder began. Hearing it again now as we type. And people are reporting ice/hail/graupel too.

(Added: Photo from Lacey in North Admiral)

7:22 PM: Thanks for the texts from all around the peninsula! Lightning too (which we also noted here in Upper Fauntleroy).

7:46 PM: If you didn’t get to see the graupel/hail/ice – Christopher Boffoli sent this video:

9:57 PM: And thanks to Michael Heavey for sending dashcam video of a lightning bolt lighting up the sky:

38 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Sunset drama and snow chances, with icy thunderstorms too"

  • Zack February 13, 2023 (7:05 pm)

    Just heard thunder for the first time here in Seattle. Reminds me of being back in Texas

    • WSB February 13, 2023 (7:10 pm)

      We’ve seen it a lot more in recent years. Welcome!

      • Eddie February 13, 2023 (8:32 pm)

        (Can’t help myself…) I’ve heard thunder and seen lightning….

        • Tracy February 14, 2023 (5:27 pm)

          😂 lol

  • Plf February 13, 2023 (7:07 pm)

    Clap of thunder and lightning near 44 th and Andover 

  • anonymouse February 13, 2023 (7:15 pm)

    Holy moly that thunder scared us! First we thought it was just someone dragging their garbage can down to the curb, then noped from that and ran out to the porch.Which probably isn’t the smartest thing but man that was loud thunder!

  • NW February 13, 2023 (7:15 pm)

  • Blake February 13, 2023 (7:21 pm)

    I heard thunder and then my lights flickered at the junction. Seriously thought I was going to lose power.

  • West Seattlite February 13, 2023 (7:26 pm)

    The first rumble I mistook for a distant explosion. I thought something had gone very wrong because I wasn’t aware T-storms were in the forecast. The second rumble was much more convincing.

    • WSB February 13, 2023 (7:40 pm)

      Concurrent with the first thunder, a military helicopter was in the area, according to my partner, who checked Flightradar24 at the time. As for the forecast, they were in the forecast we include every day in morning traffic/transit/weather watch, from the National Weather Service.

      • West Seattlite February 13, 2023 (9:15 pm)

        Yeah, being unaware was on me, I haven’t been checking the blog or  other forecasts a lot recently.

    • Yoli February 14, 2023 (5:03 am)

      We also thought it was an explosion too!  Our windows shook. We had not looked at the weather report for Monday evening. 

  • Brad February 13, 2023 (7:27 pm)

    4 lightning strikes in 10 seconds! White Center 

    • Lulu February 13, 2023 (9:07 pm)

      In between White Center/Fauntleroy, I noticed a lightning strike on my walk around 6 and was a little shocked, but thought it was a one off thing. Lights flickered in the neighborhood around 7:30PM and I thought we were about to lose power! Thunder storms feel so rare, it was kind of a shock to see/hear it in a short period

  • Ada February 13, 2023 (7:27 pm)

    Lights flickered in Arbor Heights around that time which seems weird there isn’t a lot of wind

  • RickB February 13, 2023 (7:28 pm)

    Power dipped enough here on 26th south of Roxbury enough to make my computers restart, but not enough to lose the time on my stove. Comcast internet was out for a minute, although I’m not sure if that was because of my equipment restarting or something upstream.

    • EJ February 13, 2023 (7:53 pm)

      Ditto in north Arbor Heights!

  • miws February 13, 2023 (7:31 pm)

    I haven’t heard thunder, stuck down in my hole, or, more accurately trench here. But, probably around 7:10 pm or so the TV went out, the lights flickered, and I was waiting for them to go completely out while saying; “please don’t”,  but the Comcast/Xfinity internet went down. I called their phone number and the nice automated lady who psychically rattled off my address informed me she was aware of the outage and gave an 8:20 pm restore time. Within probably 10 minutes it was back. Thye must use the same outage restore predicting software as SCL. ;-) 9000 block 16th SW. —Mike

  • Charlotte February 13, 2023 (7:31 pm)

    Will everything be alright? I never experienced thunder in my life!

    • waikikigirl February 13, 2023 (8:42 pm)

      Are you kidding us?!?

  • Rob February 13, 2023 (7:32 pm)

    Anyone loose internet

    • WSB February 13, 2023 (7:38 pm)

      Our CenturyLink slowed down enough I had to switch to Comcast.

    • LSD February 13, 2023 (7:54 pm)

      We have internet but cell phones not working down by Lincoln Park.

    • AW February 13, 2023 (7:56 pm)

      My CenturyLink is still up but my T-Mobile is not! 

  • Miles February 13, 2023 (7:37 pm)

    Serious thunder lightening in Arbor Heights……knocked  8 circuit breakers off in our house about 15 minutes ago

  • Madison February 13, 2023 (7:39 pm)

    Definitely saw a plane get hit by lightning while driving back from Burien.

  • Derek February 13, 2023 (7:47 pm)

    This weather is nothing compared to Missouri but it’s fun seeing everyone shocked by average weather in the midwest hahahaha. Wish it happened more! Love Thunder.

  • miws February 13, 2023 (7:58 pm)

    And, I’ve since heard some thunder, beginning shortly after my first post.—Mike

  • KT February 13, 2023 (8:05 pm)

    Thunder and lightening very, very frightening.Galileo, Galileo….

  • Vanessa February 13, 2023 (8:32 pm)

    Charlotte, the end is near. 

  • Derrick February 14, 2023 (12:31 am)

    Please tell me I am not the only one who had to google the word “graupel.”

    • “Graw-pell” or “Groo-pil”? February 14, 2023 (5:02 am)

      Guilty, but I don’t know how to pronounce it! And all this time I’ve been calling them really big, heavy snowflakes. 

      • Paul February 14, 2023 (7:41 am)

        Graupel rhymes with “COW-pl” It’s also called “soft hail,” which doesn’t sound as cool.

        • sam-c February 14, 2023 (8:38 am)

          Learned something new today.  I guess in my mind, it rhymed with, ‘draw-pull’

    • newnative February 14, 2023 (6:16 am)

      Everyone does when they get here Derrick. 

    • Wseattleite February 14, 2023 (7:25 am)

      Same Derrick. You are not alone. 

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