EVERETT — The bomb cyclone arrived as promised late Tuesday. Check back here for live updates:
5:45 p.m.
Some Snohomish schools to remain closed Thursday
Some schools in the Snohomish School District will reopen Thursday. Those are Cathcart Elementary, Little Cedars Elementary, Seattle Hill Elementary, Totem Falls Elementary, Valley View Middle School and Glacier Peak High School.
But others will remain closed. Those are Cascade View Elementary, Central Emerson Elementary, Dutch Hill Elementary, Machias Elementary, Riverview Elementary, Centennial Middle School, Snohomish High School and the Parkway Campus programs.
The storm has especially impacted the north end of the district, where some schools are still without power.
“We do not have a timeline as to when power will be restored or when the impacts will be cleared at our impacted schools,” the district wrote in a message to families.
UW Bothell’s campus will also be closed Thursday.
4:50 p.m.
Restoration efforts could take into the weekend
Snohomish PUD spokesperson Aaron Swaney said Wednesday afternoon it could be into the weekend before power is restored.
Thirty-five crews from the PUD, along with 15 mutual aid crews, are working to restore power. The PUD expects repairs Wednesday night could result in “significant restoration” in the south Lake Stevens and Getchell areas.
PUD expects to post its next update 5:30 a.m. Thursday.
In November 2022, a winter storm ripped through Snohomish County, leaving nearly 200,000 without power.
“This one is a little bit less, but the damage is quite extensive,” Swaney said.
4:25 p.m.
Lime Kiln Trail near Granite Falls closed until further notice
Lime Kiln Trail east of Granite Falls will be closed indefinitely due to “extensive tree fall,” the county parks department has announced.
Clearing downed trees on the 7-mile trail “will take quite some time,” the department wrote in a social media post. The department didn’t have an estimated reopening date.
3:20 p.m.
Sultan schools to start two hours late Thursday
Classes in the Sultan School District will start two hours late, the district has announced.
Hundreds remain without power in Sultan. Many schools were closed or started late Wednesday due to storm damage and power outages.
3:00 p.m.
45,000 remain without power
The Snohomish PUD continues to chip away at outages across the county and Camano Island. But it may take days to restore power to all those affected.
Just over 45,000 customers remain without power, with the bulk in and around Lake Stevens and Snohomish. Mill Creek and the Lake Goodwin area also have many without power.
1:45 p.m.
PUD focused on water treatment plants, sewer plants and schools
With nearly 50,000 customers still experiencing outages, the Snohomish PUD is focusing its efforts on restoring power to critical infrastructure, like water treatment plants, sewer plants and schools.
Mutual aid crews arriving this afternoon will aid the PUD in bringing power back to customers. This will allow employees who worked through the night to rest.
“Downed trees and saturated grounds continue to impact the speed of restoration,” the PUD writes in a note on its outage map.
The PUD will post another update at 4 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
35 PUD crews addressing power outages
Nearly 50,000 Snohomish PUD customers remain without power. The utility has had 35 line, service and tree crews in the field, with 11 more mutual aid crews from other agencies aiding in restoration efforts.
The PUD has restored power to over 80,000 customers since Tuesday night. The utility is focused on restoring power to hospitals and schools. It expects to release another update about its efforts at 1:30 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
County parks near Stanwood, Snohomish closed
Wenberg County Park at Lake Goodwin and Flowing Lake Park east of Snohomish are closed due to fallen trees.
Other parks may still be without power, the county parks department noted in a social media post Wednesday morning. Parks crews will spend the next few days removing fallen trees and branches.
11:35 a.m.
Tree narrowly misses home in Lake Stevens
The Allen family’s power went out around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on South Lake Stevens Road outside city limits. An hour later, the lights flickered back on, long enough for a hot dinner before the power went out again, Lori Allen said.
Lori Allen has lived in the house since the 1980s. Her husband Charles grew up there.
“This is probably the most wicked storm I’ve seen here,” she said.
Eric Jacobsen helps the Allen family clear a downed tree away from the side of their home on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
A fallen tree barely missed a basement window where the family slept Tuesday night. Another tree damaged a fort Charles Allen built for his son, Kyle.
Lake Stevens was hit particularly hard by Tuesday’s wind. Thousands remain without power there. Across the Snohomish PUD’s coverage area, over 55,000 customers are still experiencing outages.
10:20 a.m.
How windy did it get from Tuesday’s bomb cyclone?
From Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, wind gusts from Tuesday’s bomb cyclone ranged from 49 mph at Arlington airport to 46 mph unofficially recorded at Everett’s Paine Field.
On Mount Rainier, wind reached 77 mph. A buoy near Vancouver Island recorded a 101 mph gust.
10:00 a.m.
Downed power lines block U.S. 2 interchange in Lake Stevens
Downed power poles taken down in the wind storm have blocked the U.S. 2 interchange at 20th Street SE. Photos showed power lines and tree debris in the road.
Crews had no estimated time for reopening. The state Department of Transportation advises riders to find alternate routes and expect delays.
Izaac Ross with Waste Management walks two bins back to his truck parked behind a road close sign due to a downed tree on his route along South Lake Stevens Road on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
8:40 a.m.
Lake Stevens cancels school
Due to power outages and unsafe road conditions, the Lake Stevens School District canceled school Wednesday. That means no community facility use or after-school athletics and activities.
The Snohomish and Granite Falls school districts have also canceled classes due to the storm. Many other districts are on a two-hour delay.
6:26 a.m.
More than 73,000 remain without power in Snohomish County
More than 73,000 customers remain without power in the Snohomish Public Utility District service area Wednesday morning. This is down from a peak of 135,000 customers around midnight, according to a message on the Snohomish PUD outage map.
Damage is extensive, especially in the Lake Stevens and Snohomish areas, the message said.
“Restoration efforts may take multiple days,” it warned.
6:15 a.m. Wednesday
Snohomish, Granite Falls schools, Mukilteo elementaries closed; others on a two-hour delay
Schools in Granite Falls are closed Wednesday as a result of Tuesday’s storm, as well as Lake Stickney and Serene Lake elementary schools in Mukilteo. Snohomish School District officials canceled all schools for students Wednesday, a change from their original plans for a two-hour delay.
Schools in Everett, Edmonds, Arlington, Sultan and Monroe are on a two-hour delay.
10:35 p.m.
Snohomish schools starting two hours late
Schools in the Snohomish School District will start two hours late Wednesday due to power outages and wind damage.
The district said this will give crews time to clear roads. If needed, the district will provide further updates in the morning.
Marysville has already announced it also start two hours late Wednesday due to outages.
10:19 p.m.
Snohomish PUD reports major damage throughout county
Damaging winds are toppling trees and branches, according to a post from the Snohomish County Public Utility District. Crews will work through the night to restore power as quickly as they safely can, the post read.
Outage total in Snohomish County has now climbed above 115,800.
Crews are seeing major damage throughout the county due to the high winds toppling trees and branches. Crews will work through the night to restore power as quickly as they safely can. Please avoid downed wires.
Our outage map is back online for customers to report outages. pic.twitter.com/irdQElsmpl— Snohomish County PUD (@SnoPUD) November 20, 2024
10:10 p.m.
Marysville schools to start two hours late Wednesday
The Marysville School District will have a two-hour late start for all schools Wednesday due to power outages and downed power lines, the district has announced.
The district won’t be providing half-day preschool classes. Other local districts, including Everett, Edmonds and Arlington, haven’t posted updates about plans for school on Wednesday.
In Marysville and Tulalip, thousands remain without power Tuesday night, though other parts of Snohomish County have been hit harder.
10:05 p.m.
Light rail service between Lynnwood and Northgate resumes
After a power outage suspended service for less than an hour, Link light rail service between Lynnwood City Center and Northgate Station has resumed.
Shuttle buses briefly replaced the train. As service recovers, Sound Transit advises riders to expect delays.
9:50 p.m.
Outage total climbs to 112,000
Over 112,000 customers of the Snohomish PUD are now without power.
The biggest outages are concentrated in south Snohomish County, Camano Island, south Everett and the Tulalip Reservation.
Check the PUD’s outage map for the latest. If your power is out, but you don’t see it on the map, report the outage here or call 425-783-1001
9:35 p.m.
Woman killed by fallen tree in Lynnwood encampment
Heavy winds took down a tree Tuesday night in Lynnwood, killing a woman at a homeless encampment, authorities said.
Just after 7 p.m., a large tree fell on the encampment off Alderwood Mall Parkway, according to South County Fire. The deceased woman was in her 50s. Fire officials said no other injuries were reported.
9:10 p.m.
Light rail service suspended between Lynnwood and Northgate
Link light rail service between Lynnwood City Center and Northgate Station is suspended until further notice due to a power outage.
Trains are still running from Northgate to Angle Lake. Sound Transit said shuttle buses have been ordered to replace light rail service between Lynnwood and Northgate.
Sound Transit service alerts can be followed at Soundtransit.org/alerts.
8:50 p.m.
Inclement weather causes light rail delays
The bomb cyclone’s arrival late Tuesday has led to disruptions on both lines of the Link light rail. Sound Transit encourages riders to anticipate delays.
8:40 p.m.
Multiple trees and power lines down in Edmonds
Several trees and power lines are down in Edmonds, the police department reports. Many roads are impassable or have serious hazards.
The police department encourages residents to call 425-407-3999 to report a non-emergency road issue.
“Please do not go outside or drive if you do not have to,” the department said on social media.
Across the Snohomish PUD’s coverage area, over 91,000 are without power, but not many in Edmonds.
Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue reports so many lines are down “we would be posting the locations till the lights turn on.”
8:06 p.m.
High wind warning for dangerous winds with 65 mph gusts
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for much of Western Washington, including Arlington, Marysville, Everett and Seattle. Residents should expect 30 to 40 mph winds with gusts up to 65 mph. The strongest winds are expected to occur Tuesday evening until 4 a.m. Wednesday.
“People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches,” the warning said. “If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive.”
7:34 p.m.
Storm leaves more than 82K without power
More than 82,000 customers in the Snohomish County Public Utility District are without power Tuesday. The outages were dispersed throughout the PUD’s coverage area, including in Camano Island, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood and south Everett.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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