Heavy winds knock out power to thousands in Inland Northwest, dust closes I90 near Moses Lake

Heavy winds blew into the area on Sunday afternoon, causing damage and power outages to areas mostly north and east of Spokane.

A first round of wind in the afternoon gusted through town, reaching 64 mph in Athol, the highest reading in the area, said Ron Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane.

A second bout of wind was observed Sunday evening in Moses Lake, where Interstate 90 remained closed in both directions due to poor visibility caused by blowing dust. The Washington Department of Transportation reported the roadway was closed between mileposts 182 and 221. The Keller ferry across the Columbia River was also closed, with no estimated time to reopen.

Miller said winds in Spokane would subside overnight.

As of 8 p.m., gusts greater than 40 mph were still being observed within city limits.

The strong winds were caused by a cold front that could also cause overnight rain and mountain snow, Miller said.

“Whether that helps the wind, or hurts the wind, it’s hard to predict,” he said.

Kootenai Electric reported about 3,000 of their customers were without power as of 6 p.m., many of them west of Athol, where the fastest winds were reported.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents reporting nonemergency windstorm damage to call (208) 446-2292.

Outages within Spokane city limits were minor early Sunday evening, according to Avista Utilities. The utility reported several outages north of town and along Priest River, with about 11,500 customers in the dark as of 8 p.m.

Gusts of greater than 50 mph were reported on the West Plains on Sunday afternoon.

Inland Power and Light reported numerous outages in north Spokane County, affecting a total of 2,700 customers in Spokane and Bonner counties as of 8 p.m.

Northern Lights Inc. reported 4,400 members without power in North Idaho as of Sunday evening.

The first bout of wind brought blowing dust to downtown Spokane, causing air quality to briefly dip Sunday evening. Air quality levels reached levels considered unhealthy for all residents, according to the Spokane Clean Air Agency, before slightly improving later in the evening.

A high wind warning from the National Weather Service will expire at 5 a.m. Monday, and daytime temperatures will be cooler than they were Sunday afternoon. Daytime highs are expected to rebound back into the 60s by midweek, according to the weather service.