SPOKANE — Rain and high winds snarled the morning commute in the Puget Sound area and the Inland Northwest braced for severe weather that could include wind gusts to 70 mph.
Late Tuesday morning scattered power outages affecting thousands of people were reported in King and Snohomish counties.
The National Weather Service issued a windstorm warning that lasts from noon Tuesday until midnight for most of Eastern Washington and northern Idaho.
The Weather Service said a Pacific storm system is expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon, with sustained winds of 45 mph that could topple trees and cause power outages.
The warning extends from the Oregon to Canadian borders and from Wenatchee to northern Idaho.
The Weather Service said dust storms are possible in the Moses Lake and Ritzville areas, which could reduce visibility on I-90.
In Shoreline, a windblown tree snapped off and struck a King County Metro bus, sending the driver to the hospital with neck and back pain.
The King County Sheriff’s Office said it happened just before 10 a.m. Tuesday as officials were receiving many calls about downed trees during a heavy wind and rain storm.
The tree struck the Route 331 bus near Shoreline Community College. The driver was the only person on board. She was taken to Northwest Hospital.
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