A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a rotatable shaft defining a longitudinal axis, and a bearing housing extending along the longitudinal axis to define a bearing compartment. The bearing housing has a first seal land defined along an inner diameter of the bearing housing, a seal carrier fixedly attached to an outer periphery of the shaft, and a seal member extending outwardly from the seal carrier. The seal member defines a plurality of helical grooves facing radially outward to establish a first sealing relationship with the first seal land, and each one of the helical grooves has a major component extending in an axial direction relative to the longitudinal axis. A method of sealing for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.