High wind warning in effect for northwest Snohomish County

Published 2:50 pm Monday, December 15, 2025

EVERETT — Just when Snohomish County residents thought they had made it through the storm, high winds throughout the county Monday led to widespread power outages.

And even stronger winds are predicted to arrive Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning for the lowlands of northwest Snohomish County. Winds are expected to be 25 to 40 mph with gusts as high as 50 to 55 mph.

“Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines,” the warning said. “Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”

The weather service had originally issued a wind advisory for Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, which warned of the potential of wind gusts up to 45 mph.

In addition, a flood warning for the Skykomish River near Gold Bar has been extended through early Thursday morning.

At 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Skykomish was at 13 feet. It is expected to drop 12.4 feet late Tuesday morning before rising to 17.7 feet Tuesday night, more than two feet above flood stage.

The river last crested to 17.7 feet in December 1982.

After last week’s record-breaking floods, which put 800 people in unincorporated Snohomish County under evacuation orders and left many stranded due to high floodwaters, the area might experience 35-50 mph winds Tuesday, said Anna Lindeman, a meteorologist for the weather service, in an interview Tuesday.

Winds are expected to pick up throughout Tuesday afternoon, Lindeman said. Forecasts show two main pushes, one around the evening commute and another between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., she said. The first push is expected to bring 35-40 mph winds, with the second push bringing gusts closer to 40-50 mph.

“What makes this kind of unusual is that typically the Everett area sees winds coming from the south, but these are going to be coming from the northwest, so things like trees might be a little bit more susceptible to falling,” Lindeman said.

On Wednesday, gusts should slow down to about 25 mph, she said.

Over 16,000 people were without power as of 3:15 p.m. Monday, including areas around Darrington, Arlington, Granite Falls and Everett, according to the Snohomish Public Utility District’s power outage map. PUD spokesperson Aaron Swaney said crews were finishing their work on most restoration efforts early Tuesday.

“A lot of our crews are going to go on rest for the rest of today and prepare for this evening,” Swaney said in an interview Tuesday. “They’ll be stationed and ready to respond tonight if we do see some outages.”

Since the winds are coming from the west, Swaney said Camano Island and the western edge of Snohomish County could be the hardest hit areas.

The utility district is warning of possible multi-day power outages due to the overload and is encouraging people to prepare for the forecasted weather by having extra food and water on hand. The district is also advising that people charge their electronics and obtain alternative light sources and ways to stay warm.

For power outage updates or to report an outage, visit outagemap.snopud.com/. People can also sign up for text updates at snopud.com/outages.

Eliza Aronson: 425-339-3434; eliza.aronson@heraldnet.com; X: @ElizaAronson.

Eliza’s stories are supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund.

Michael Henneke: 425-339-3431; michael.henneke@heraldnet.com; X: @ihenpecked

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.