Martha Bellisler, Halle Golden and Lisa Bowman, The Associated Press
Issaquah, Wash. (AP) — A massive storm is sweeping across the U.S. northwest, bringing strong winds and rain that have caused widespread power outages, closed schools, downed trees and killed at least two people.
The Weather Prediction Center on Friday issued a risk for excess rainfall and a hurricane-force wind warning was in effect as California and the Pacific Northwest's strongest atmospheric river of the season – a flood of moisture – flooded the region. The storm system that began hitting Tuesday is considered a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone rapidly intensifies.
In California, the weather service extended a flood watch until Saturday for areas north of San Francisco. Up to 16 inches (40 centimeters) of rain are expected to fall in northern California and southwestern Oregon by Friday. Officials warned of the potential for dangerous flash flooding, rockslides and mudslides.
A winter storm watch has been activated for areas above 3,500 feet (1,066 meters) in the northern Sierra Nevada, where up to 15 inches (28 centimeters) of snow could fall over two days. Forecasters said wind gusts in the mountains could reach 75 mph (120 km/h).
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Heavy rains are expected to continue across the Cascade Mountains and parts of northern California. Forecasters warned of the possibility of blizzards and heavy snow conditions with snow accumulation rates of 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 centimeters) per hour and wind gusts as high as 65 mph (105 km/h) at mountain pass levels. Driving is almost impossible.
Falling trees hit homes and scattered roads across western Washington. A woman died Tuesday night when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment in Lynwood, the South County Fire Department said in a statement. A tree fell on a home in Bellevue, east of Seattle, on Tuesday night, killing a woman, fire officials said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Tracy Meloy of Issaquah, Wash., felt well prepared for the storm, with dinner ready and lanterns at the ready. But then she spent the night listening to the sounds of windblown debris hitting the outside of her home, including a particularly loud “thump” around 9 p.m. Approximately 17 miles (27 kilometers) of communities were damaged.
“Now that I'm standing in front of the house, I can see it's the tree across the street,” Meloy said. The tree brought down power lines in front of her home. The road was strewn with branches, leaves and other vegetation.
“It looks like a forest floor rather than a street,” she said.
According to poweroutage.us, the number of outage reports in Washington fluctuated significantly on Tuesday night, but steadily dropped to about 460,000 by Wednesday afternoon. A dozen schools have closed in Seattle alone.
About 2,800 customers were without power in Oregon on Wednesday, 38,000 customers were without power in California and 10,000 customers were without power around Carson City and Reno, Nevada. Three Reno schools were closed due to high winds, and a major highway between the two cities was closed to semitrucks. All chair lifts at Rose Mountain Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe have been closed.
The first heavy snowfall of the season in the Dakotas and Minnesota led to accidents and slippery roads. The weather service said up to 16 inches (40 centimeters) of snow could fall in Turtle Mountain, North Dakota, and up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) in Minot. The weather service said strong wind problems were expected in parts of Montana and Nebraska, with gusts as high as 60 mph (97 kph).
Officials briefly advised against travel in northern North Dakota due to the cold weather. State troopers in northern Minnesota responded to multiple accidents, including a tractor-trailer break when Interstate 94 became slippery with ice and snow. The storm caused high winds in Juneau, Alaska, with gusts expected to reach 60 mph (96 km/h).
The weather service warned people on the West Coast of tree hazards during high winds, posting on the X, “Avoid outside rooms and windows and use caution when driving to stay safe.”
An 11-mile (18-kilometer) stretch of southbound Interstate 5 from Ashland, Ore., to the California border was closed Wednesday morning due to extreme winter weather conditions in northern California, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. The department said it expected the closure to be long-term.
The weather service issued a flood warning for parts of southwestern Oregon Friday night, while high winds and surf caused ferry routes between Port Townsend and Cooperville in northwest Washington to be suspended for part of the day.
Robert and Lisa Haynes of Issaquah, Wash., surveyed the damage in their community Wednesday. They were trapped inside their homes after fallen branches or trees blocked driveways and roads.
“It's like a snow day,” Robert Haynes said, “but without the snow.”
Golden reported from Seattle, and Bowman reported from Bellingham, Washington. Jack Dura, Bismarck, North Dakota; Jim Salter, St. Louis; Scott Sonner, Reno, Nevada; Christopher Weber, Los Angeles; Juneau, Alaska Becky Bohrer also contributed.
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