Power cut to thousands as windstorm moves through Western Washington

SEATTLE — Thousands of people have lost power as strong winds are moving across Western Washington, bringing down trees and power lines and blocking roads.

>>PHOTOS: Damaging windstorm rips through Western Washington

At the height of the storm, close to 300,000 customers were without power.

A High Wind Warning is in effect for the interior lowlands of Western Washington nearer the water from about Tacoma north, and the Washington coast until 7 p.m. Thursday.

• Widespread 35-45 mph wind gusts with isolated wind gusts 60 mph -- particularly late morning-mid afternoon
• Strongest winds for most around 2 to 3 p.m.
• Real-Time updates: Power outages around Puget Sound
• Download the KIRO 7 Weather App.for alerts as storms move in
• Find a detailed forecast lower in this story
• Live PinPoint StormTracker Doppler Radar

A Wind Advisory is in effect for Thursday for Thurston, Lewis and interior Grays Harbor counties as well as areas of Pierce, King and Snohomish counties nearer the Cascades from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Effects of storm

• 59 mph wind gust on the I-90 floating bridge
• Trees, power lines reported down across region
• Isolated 60 mph + gusts in spots like Point Wilson (Port Townsend) and near Ferndale.
• Weather station at 5,000 ft. on Mt. Baker reported a gust to 117 mph
• Ferry cancellations due to high winds, rough seas

Detailed forecast

The developing low pressure system will move toward northern Vancouver Island and strong wind gusts of 45-55 mph will batter the coast in the early morning hours through mid-morning.

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Around Puget Sound, it will be breezy but winds will increase after about 10 a.m. with some wind gusts from about Seattle south touching 45 mph.

Expect winds similar to, or slightly less than, what we had on Friday evening. Wind will subside after about 2-3 p.m.  Power outages will occur, but likely not as numerous since Friday's storm "pruned" a lot of the foliage and weak trees and branches.

In the same late morning-mid afternoon time frame, stronger wind is likely north of Seattle -- particularly across Island and Snohomish Counties.  Wind gusts could top 50 mph in many locations with an isolated 60 mph gust possible, particularly near the water.  Strong winds of 40-55 mph will also occur along the Strait.  Farther north across Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties, wind gusts of 40-50mph will be more common with isolated higher gusts possible.

To recap:

Coast: strongest wind from around 5am to 11 am with sustained wind 25-40 with gusts 50-60 mph

North Sound (Snohomish, Island): strongest wind from 10 am to 2pm with sustained wind 20-35 with gusts 45-60 mph

Puget Sound region: strongest wind from 10 am to 2pm with sustained 25-40 mph with gusts 45-60 mph

​Aside from the wind, it will be wet for the first half of the day with some heavier downpours around. By midday, we'll begin to have less areas of rain and mainly rain-free by evening except in the convergence zone in the central or north Sound.

In the mountains, it'll be mainly rain or a rain/snow mix through the passes Thursday.

Friday will be mainly dry but breezy. Saturday will have increasing clouds with rain late.  Sunday looks breezy and rainy before tapering showers on Christmas Eve into Christmas Day. The chance for a lowland white Christmas is pretty much zero.

Cox Media Group