Rare waterspout spotted Saturday near Hat Island

HAT ISLAND — A waterspout — a tornado that touches a body of water — formed near Hat Island on Saturday afternoon, giving witnesses a chance to view a phenomenon rare to this area.

The waterspout touched down on Possession Sound north of Hat Island, not far from Whidbey Island, shortly after 4 p.m., by most accounts. The funnel cloud was churning up the surface of the sound for up to 15 minutes, though it wasn’t drawing water upward the entire time, according to witnesses.

The waterspout was caused by unstable weather conditions that also produced lightning and hail around the Puget Sound region on Saturday, according to the weather service. There were no reports of any damage on land from the funnel cloud.

Ken Ohlsen of Tulalip photographed the waterspout and sent the image to The Herald. Other photos have been posted elsewhere online as well.

“It formed over the Clinton area, touched down between Clinton and Hat Island and was probably on the water for 10 for 15 minutes,” Ohlsen said.

He said he had time to get his camera, photograph the waterspout and then he and his wife watched it for a few more minutes.

“It stayed and swirled around for a very long time,” said his wife, Margie Eliason.

Waterspouts are very rare over the inland waters of Western Washington, said Danny Mercer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Seattle.

The last one anyone at the weather service office remembers occurred 10 years ago or more, off Alki Beach in West Seattle, he said. Waterspouts are more frequent off the Washington coast, where one is reported every couple of years, Mercer said.

Tornadoes, while not common in the Northwest compared to other parts of the country, are more common in Western Washington than waterspouts, he said.

Tornadoes form more easily in a mix of warm and cold air, while over the water the temperature tends to be cooler, Mercer said.

“It’s a different process from what you see with a regular tornado,” he said. Tornadoes are caused when cold, dry air undercuts moist, warmer air and then lifts up. Waterspouts form in cool, unstable conditions.

“There’s not an existing warm air mass,” he said. A waterspout can be created when cold air gets moving and starts spinning in different directions.

“They’re almost always brief, a 10-minute deal and they lift up.”

Eliason said Saturday’s waterspout lasted close to 15 minutes altogether, though toward the end it wasn’t drawing water up through the cloud.

“You can’t always see the funnel all the way up, it depends on how much moisture is wrapped up in it,” Mercer said.

According to one witness report posted by the weather service, “Person saw waterspout about a quarter to half-mile northeast of Hat Island. Waterspout touched down for 30 seconds, then dissipated, reformed again for about 10 to 15 seconds then dissipated again. Water churned where the spout was for a few minutes…”

Eliason said two other funnel clouds started to form but didn’t make it to the water. “The other two tried to but didn’t quite make it,” she said. Some of the photos posted show at least one additional partly formed funnel.

Toward the end of the waterspout’s duration, “there was actually a skinny little thread, I’d say it went on for 5 minutes,” Eliason said.

Ohlsen, who said he travels extensively in his work, said he’s seen other waterspouts but never one here.

“I’ve seen quite a few in Florida,” he said.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Boeing firefighters union members and supporters hold an informational picket at Airport Road and Kasch Park Road on Monday, April 29, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Biden weighs in on Boeing lockout of firefighters in Everett, elsewhere

On Thursday, the president expressed support for the firefighters, saying he was “concerned” Boeing had locked them out over the weekend.

Everett officer Curtis Bafus answers an elderly woman’s phone. (Screen shot from @dawid.outdoor's TikTok video)
Everett officer catches phone scammer in the act, goes viral on TikTok

Everett Police Chief John DeRousse said it was unclear when the video with 1.5 million views was taken, saying it could be “years old.”

Construction occurs at 16104 Cascadian Way in Bothell, Washington on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
What Snohomish County ZIP codes have seen biggest jumps in home value?

Mill Creek, for one. As interest rates remain high and supplies are low, buyers could have trouble in today’s housing market.

A person takes photos of the aurora borealis from their deck near Howarth Park on Friday, May 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County residents marvel at dazzling views of northern lights

Chances are good that the aurora borealis could return for a repeat performance Saturday night.

Arlington
Motorcyclist dies, another injured in two-vehicle crash in Arlington

Detectives closed a section of 252nd St NE during the investigation Friday.

Convicted sex offender Michell Gaff is escorted into court. This photo originally appeared in The Everett Daily Herald on Aug. 15, 2000. (Justin Best / The Herald file)
The many faces of Mitchell Gaff, suspect in 1984 Everett cold case

After an unfathomable spree of sexual violence, court papers reveal Gaff’s efforts to leave those horrors behind him, in his own words.

Retired Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Anita Farris smiles as she speaks to a large crowd during the swearing-in of her replacement on the bench, Judge Whitney M. Rivera, on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
One of state’s most senior judges retires from Snohomish County bench

“When I was interviewed, it was like, ‘Do you think you can work up here with all the men?’” Judge Anita Farris recalled.

A truck drives west along Casino Road past a new speed camera set up near Horizon Elementary on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
After traffic cameras went in, Everett saw 70% decrease in speeding

Everett sent out over 2,000 warnings from speed cameras near Horizon Elementary in a month. Fittingly, more cameras are on the horizon.

The Monroe Correctional Complex on Friday, June 4, 2021 in Monroe, Wash. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Trans inmate says Monroe prison staff retaliated over safety concerns

Jennifer Jaylee, 48, claims after she reported her fears, she was falsely accused of a crime, then transferred to Eastern Washington.

Inside John Wightman’s room at Providence Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in Everett Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
In Everett hospital limbo: ‘You’re left in the dark, unless you scream’

John Wightman wants to walk again. Rehab facilities denied him. On any given day at Providence, up to 100 people are stuck in hospital beds.

Firefighters extinguish an apartment fire off Edmonds Way on Thursday May 9, 2024. (Photo provided by South County Fire)
7 displaced in Edmonds Way apartment fire

A cause of the fire had not been determined as of Friday morning, fire officials said.

Biologist Kyle Legare measures a salmon on a PUD smolt trap near Sportsman Park in Sultan, Washington on May 6, 2024. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Low Chinook runs endanger prime fishing rivers in Snohomish County

Even in pristine salmon habitat like the Sultan, Chinook numbers are down. Warm water and extreme weather are potential factors.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.