This short video captures a surreal scene from Porthleven during Storm Bram, when the harbour and surrounding coastline were engulfed by huge amounts of sea foam. At first glance it looked as though it was snowing, with thick white streaks blowing across the road, the slipway and the outer harbour. It was one of those moments where the combination of strong winds, heavy swell and the unique shape of Porthleven’s coastline created something genuinely unusual and unforgettable.

What sea foam actually is

Sea foam forms when the ocean is agitated by waves and wind, mixing air with seawater that contains naturally occurring organic matter, such as dissolved salts, proteins and algae. When storms churn the water with enough force, this mixture becomes frothy and can build into large accumulations. Porthleven is particularly prone to dramatic sea conditions, and during Storm Bram the ingredients lined up perfectly, long-period swell, turbulent water and strong onshore gusts, allowing the foam to lift, drift and break apart in the air like windblown snow.

Storm Bram in context

Storm Bram arrived in early December as a deep Atlantic low, bringing severe gale-force winds, heavy rain and a powerful westerly swell across Cornwall. Coastal communities such as Porthleven felt the full impact, with wave heights offshore exceeding nine metres and wind gusts strong enough to send sea spray far inland. While Bram was not the most damaging storm of the season, it produced highly photogenic and energetic seas that created scenes like the foam “snowfall” shown in this video.

A rare spectacle in porthleven

Even in a place known for dramatic weather, the scale of the sea foam during Storm Bram stood out. It piled up along the harbour walls, blew across the prom in thick bursts and left everything coated in a temporary white layer. Watching the foam lift into the air and drift across the village genuinely felt like experiencing a winter snow flurry, only with the Atlantic providing the flakes. Moments like this are a reminder of how dynamic and unpredictable Cornwall’s coastline can be, especially during the winter storm season.