Snohomish County saw widespread power outages early Wednesday as severe weather knocked down trees and power lines, according to Snohomish County Public Utility District.
High winds and steady rain moved through the area overnight, leaving tens of thousands of Snohomish PUD customers without electricity by early morning.
The outages were reported across Lake Stevens and nearby communities, where residents described repeated power losses and storm debris scattered along roadways.
Several people in Lake Stevens said the power cut out multiple times during the night as the storm intensified.
Jeff Mosher said the combination of wind and rain raised concerns about falling trees and power lines.
“Windy and raining” conditions, he said, made it clear the storm could cause serious damage — something many residents soon experienced.
Another Lake Stevens resident, Chris Sonsteng, said a tree came down onto his power lines while he was inside his home.
“I was in bed and it just sounded like a tree coming through the house, what it sounded like, Big Bang! Almost like a couple of times my kid got hit at the racetrack,” Sonsteng said.
Sonsteng said the fallen tree damaged his front yard and parts of his home.
When he stepped outside in the dark, he said the debris blocked his view so completely that he could not see the roadway from his house.
Snohomish PUD said nearly three dozen repair crews were working early Wednesday to restore electricity, with staffing levels expected to change as weather and damage assessments continue.
Officials said strong winds and saturated ground led to trees falling onto power lines and poles throughout the county.
In Stanwood, crews were responding to four transmission poles that were knocked down along Marine Drive. Snohomish PUD said similar damage was being reported in multiple locations countywide.
Crews are working in Stanwood where there are four transmission poles down along Marine Drive. We are seeing damage like this throughout the county.
— Snohomish County PUD (@SnoPUD) December 17, 2025
We appreciate your patience as we work to make repairs and restore power to all of our customers as quickly and safely as we can. pic.twitter.com/uZ8v4NKTM0
“We are seeing damage like this throughout the county,” Snohomish PUD said in a statement. “We appreciate your patience as we work to make repairs and restore power to all of our customers as quickly and safely as we can.”
Utility officials are also urging drivers to avoid closed roads and work zones.
Snohomish PUD warned that driving around cones or road-closure signs near downed poles and power lines is dangerous and can slow restoration efforts.
“Please do not go around cones or road closed signs,” the utility said. “It is not safe to drive around downed poles and power lines. Unfortunately, this driver learned this lesson the hard way. This can also delay restoration efforts further while we safely remove the vehicle from the area.”
Snohomish PUD said restoration work and debris removal will continue in the coming days, and the extent of the storm damage could affect how long it takes to fully restore service in some neighborhoods.
©2025 Cox Media Group
