April showers didn’t just bring May flowers.
An unusual winter-like storm swept through the Puget Sound area on Monday, knocking down power lines and increasing the risk of avalanches in the mountains.
The extreme weather was caused by a convergence zone hanging over Snohomish County, National Weather Service meteorologist Johnny Burg said.
The heavy winds and precipitation were expected to give way today to typical spring rainstorms, but only after doing a little damage.
Wind gusts topped out at 47 mph in Everett by Monday afternoon. The high winds knocked tree branches onto power lines throughout Snohomish County.
More than 15,000 people lost power throughout the day, PUD spokesman Neil Neroutsos said. Outages were reported in Marysville, Arlington, Smokey Point, Lake Stevens and Granite Falls, among other areas. By late evening, only 2,500 were without power.
Temperatures also were below normal, hitting a high of 52 in Everett, well below the normal high of 64 degrees, Burg said.
The chilly weather led to more than cold rain. Graupel — little clumps of frozen snowflakes — fell like hail, bouncing over the ground.
The Cascade Range also was due for 12 to 18 inches of fresh snow by today. That will bring the six-day snowfall total to about three feet in some areas.
The National Weather Service has a winter storm warning in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday in the Cascades. The state Transportation Department has closed the North Cascades Highway because of avalanche danger.
High winds and spring sunshine might make all that snow unstable, increasing the risk of avalanches, said Mark Moore, director of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.
The conditions can be particularly hazardous, since many people aren’t focused on avalanches in May, Moore said. Hikers and skiers need to remember that fresh snow can be dangerous in the spring.
“Their minds are often on golf or gardening or something else,” Moore said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com
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