WASHINGTON, USA — Harsh winds eased by Wednesday afternoon after a bomb cyclone off of Washington's coast caused widespread power outages and traffic impacts.
It was a "possibly record-breaking" system that is now moving away from the coast, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
According to KING 5's Rich Marriott, the system, called a bomb cyclone, formed off the coast and pulled wind out of eastern Washington and down across the Cascades.
The fastest wind speeds related to the bomb cyclone were observed in Canadian waters off the coast of Vancouver Island, where a wind gust of 101 mph was recorded at around 6 p.m. PST.
In western Washington, the highest wind speed was recorded at Mount Rainier at 77 miles per hour, with Enumclaw close behind with a gust of 74 miles per hour recorded around 7 p.m.
Gale Warning for coast
A Storm Warning for waters off the Washington coast expired Wednesday morning.
A Gale Warning will go into effect until 2 a.m. on Thursday. A Gale Warning is issued when there are sustained surface winds or frequent gusts of 39 mph to 54 mph.
The NWS warned that the bomb cyclone would be particularly dangerous for sailors, and recommended that they remain in port, alter their course or secure their vessels for severe conditions.
"Very strong winds will cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility," the NWS forecast reads. The agency predicted that there could be 22 to 27-foot waves.
RELATED: Western Washington Weather Forecast
Wind warning and advisory
A High Wind Warning was in effect from 2 p.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday along the coast, Western Strait of Juan de Fuca, the east Puget Sound lowlands and the Bellevue area. Wind speeds were expected to be 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 65 mph, according to NWS.
Winds caused widespread power outages, with hundreds of thousands in the dark as of Wednesday morning.
RELATED: 600,000 people without power in western WA; Company warns outages could last for multiple days
Farther south, the NWS issued a Hurricane Force Wind Warning for the waters off of Cape Shoalwater in Washington down to Cape Falcon, Oregon. Gusts were forecasted to reach up to 80 miles per hour.
Blizzard Warning
In the Cascade Mountains, the system is expected to bring snow accumulations of 4 to 12 inches Tuesday evening. The combination of high winds prompted NWS to issue a rare Blizzard Warning, which expired Wednesday at 10 a.m.
There is a Winter Weather Advisory for Olympic National Park and some surrounding areas, where 12 to 24 inches of snow is expected to accumulate at elevations above 3,000 feet. The advisory will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Flood Watch
There is a Flood Watch in effect for one area of Mason County which will take effect on Tuesday night and remain through Wednesday afternoon. A portion of the Skokomish River, which is already running high, could be pushed above flood-stage. Anyone living in flood-prone areas should be prepared for impacts.
