Windstorm causes significant damage across Puget Sound region

It was the real deal Monday, the kind of windstorm the Pacific Northwest is famous for.

The big wind created significant problems across the region with power outages, downed trees, and significant damage.

At one point Monday, 23,000 homes were without power. 4,000 homes are still without electricity Tuesday morning (as of 9 a.m.), but various agencies report they are making progress toward bringing the power back on.

KIRO Newsradio’s Sam Campbell reports seeing significant damage in the Lynnwood area, especially near Glendale Park.

Snohomish County PUD crews working to restore power to neighborhood near Lynndale Park in Lynnwood. A neighbor says it’s the 5th outage he’s had since June.

The bucket trucks are two of many as energy companies across the Puget Sound region work to clean up from yesterday’s wind pic.twitter.com/UFYl8bLiDV

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) February 21, 2023

He spoke with a man who told him that this is the fifth time he has lost power this winter. He hasn’t had power since Monday afternoon. He says he’s now considering getting a generator.

Redmond Police report a tree fell across a power line on Northeast 104th Street. This street was still closed Tuesday morning.

UPDATE: NE 104th St remains closed between 166th Ave NE and 168th Ave NE for a downed tree over a power line. RPD is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates as we receive more information. As of 5:45 a.m., please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/39N6sRQVO2

— RedmondWaPD (@RedmondWaPD) February 21, 2023

The National Weather Service in Seattle tweeted that winds in the lowlands made it to 50 miles an hour.

With gusts of 45 to 50 mph in the area this hour, it’s no surprise that clouds are moving quickly. And you can also see the gusts across the water of Lake Washington. All of this was just in the space of a 5 minute time lapse. #wawx pic.twitter.com/18GuZwyLI7

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 21, 2023

Up in the mountains, the winds reached hurricane force. At the top of Crystal Mountain, winds topped out at 80 miles per hour.

Avalanche threat looms in mountains as colder weather arrives

Here’s a list of the highest winds over the past 12 hours (>40 MPH): https://t.co/h50bbv35T3

Crystal Mountain 80 MPH
Chinook Pass 79 MPH
Snoqualmie Pass 67 MPH
Sunrise – Mt. Rainier 66 MPH
Smith Island 62 MPH
New Dungeness Lighthouse 59 MPH

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 21, 2023

Moving forward, it looks like most of the high winds are done, but rain and snow are still a possibility.

From meteorlogist Nick Allard and the KIRO 7 TV weather blog.

Scattered showers are moving through the area with breezy conditions and temps in the upper-30s and lower-40s. Showers will continue here and there today ahead of another wave that will move through this afternoon and evening. Behind this cold front northeast wind kicks in through the Fraser River and cold air will move over the entire area. There will be some scattered showers around that should fall as snow or wet snow and rain. Spotty accumulation is possible, but most areas will be less than an inch. However, that could change and we need to watch it closely as the showers move through.

By late-afternoon and early-evening, snow levels will be around 500′ to the surface. Still all indications point to moisture drying up tonight with only a few spotty, light snow showers around. Wednesday looks similar with just a few showers, but we’ll need to watch the Olympic Peninsula for the potential for more snow showers. Accumulations in the lowlands look minimal (less than two inches) and very sporadic. Best chances for snow accumulation will be on higher hills near the Cascades. In addition, northeasterly wind will cause some snow around the Port Angeles area and some accumulations there could be more substantial tonight into Wednesday.

To check on power outages, check the website of your company.

Seattle City Light

PSE

Snohomish PUD

KIRO Newsradio’s Sam Campbell contributed to this story