SEATTLE — A fall storm brought heavy rain and high winds to western Washington, leaving thousands without power for at least part of the day on Monday.
Puget Sound Energy told KING 5 that the total number of outages exceeded 100,000. Power has largely been restored as of Tuesday morning.
Warnings and advisories were in effect for much of the Puget Sound lowlands from early Monday morning to the afternoon.
A High Wind Warning was in effect from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday for north coastal areas, San Juan County, western Skagit and Whatcom counties, and areas near the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Sustained winds up to 35 mph are possible, with gusts up to 50-60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The winds were strong enough to snap power poles in Whatcom County. In Birch Bay, hundreds were without power for most of the day.
Brittany Dean told KING 5 it's not uncommon to get strong winds, but it's rarely as bad as it was Monday morning.
"We have been here four years and never lost power," she said. "Our neighbor has been here since the 80s and she says this is the first time in over ten years that we have lost power."
A Wind Advisory was in effect from 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday for the central coast, east Puget Sound lowlands, western Snohomish County, lower Chehalis Valley area, southwest interior, and areas around Tacoma and Olympia. Sustained winds up to 30 mph are possible, with gusts up to 45 mph, according to the Weather Service.
Snow in the Cascades
Meanwhile, in the Cascades, more snow arrived in the mountain passes.
A Winter Storm Warning was in effect from 4 a.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday for elevations of at least 3,500 feet for the northwest and central-west portions of the Cascades. During this time up to 18 inches of snow was forecasted to fall in some areas.
A Winter Weather Advisory was in effect from 4 a.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday for elevations of at least 3,500 feet for the western slopes of the south-central Cascades. During this time up to 12 inches of snow was forecasted to fall in some areas.