SPOKANE, Wash. — A powerful low-pressure region spinning off the coast of Washington is creating high winds across the state, with the strongest impacts yet to come for the Spokane and Pullman areas.
High Wind Warnings were issued for Pullman and southeastern Washington from 3 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday. The height of the storm could produce southwesterly wind gusts of 60mph that would cause tree damage and power outages.
Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and all of central Washington are under a Wind Advisory. Winds between 45-55 mph are possible, which is still strong enough to cause tree branches to snap and a lesser chance for power outages.
Wind gusts have already been near 30mph since noon Tuesday and will increase throughout the day. The peak of the storm will be around 7-11 p.m. Tuesday night. Blustery winds upwards of 30-40mph could continue through the afternoon on Wednesday.
The storm center is just moving into southwesterly Washington, north of Portland, as of 12pm Tuesday. The acceleration of winds just south of the low-pressure center, or in the front-right quadrant, is the point of attack for the strongest wind gusts. On Tuesday, a corridor from Portland to Pullman will experience some of the strongest wind gusts.
High Wind Warnings are also in effect for Seattle (until 1 a.m. Wednesday) and Portland (until 4 p.m. Tuesday).