Power outage hits Snohomish, Monroe during hottest part of day

Published 2:10 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2009

As temperatures soared near 100 degrees in Monroe and Snohomish, the power went out to about 14,000 people just after noon today.

Sagging power lines, a result of the high heat, tripped three substations, said Neil Neroutsos, a Snohomish County PUD spokesman.

Power has been restored to all but 2,400 people, he said.

Crews were patrolling to try to find the sagging lines and correct the problem.

Officials expect to restore power this afternoon.

The National Weather Service reported it was 96 degrees at Paine Field in Everett at 2 p.m.

Temperatures are expected to rise over 100 degrees in much of Snohomish County this afternoon, forecasters said.

PUD officials expect to set records for usage today as people crank up air conditioners to beat the heat.