Matt Crissman was shopping in Ballard around 12:30 p.m. today (Sunday) when he spotted a funnel cloud in the distance to the west.
“(I) was about to walk into Fred Meyer and thought, damn, I really need to film this!” he told My Ballard. So naturally, he recorded it on video and posted it on Twitter:
Hey @NWSSeattle – caught this over in Ballard around 12:30pm. Radar was showing a decent cell moving NE at the time…. made for great video. 🌪 #darkclouds #rotation pic.twitter.com/0x8NI2E5bq
— Capitol Hill Matt (@JeepMattWA) September 16, 2018
The National Weather Service in Seattle responded to his tweet, acknowledging it appeared to be a funnel cloud, which are much weaker than tornadoes and don’t touch the ground. It’s unclear if this one was over Ballard proper or over the water in Elliott Bay.
“Back in college, I actually started as a meteorology major, so it’s still a hobby for me,” Matt said. “The radar had been crazy all morning so (I) knew something could happen.”