Power restored to most of Spokane area early Tuesday morning after windstorm

After Monday’s intense windstorm swept through the Inland Northwest, crews worked overnight to restore power to thousands of Spokane and North Idaho residents by early Tuesday morning.

Fewer than 35 Avista customers and 31 Inland Power customers remained without power at 5 p.m. Tuesday, down from 11,780 customers without power at about 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Wind gusts reached 35 mph Tuesday at Felts Field in Spokane, said Jon Fox, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Spokane. That was an improvement over gusts of 60 mph Monday, according to the NWS.

Meanwhile, snow continued to accumulate on some area mountain passes Tuesday. Snoqualmie Pass received 8 inches, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. It was still snowing on the pass with bare and wet roads as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Stevens Pass was covered in snow and ice early Tuesday, with poor visibility and high winds and then improved late Tuesday afternoon with snow, slush and ice in places, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. White Pass was closed overnight Monday but reopened early Tuesday.

A winter storm warning was in effect for the Cascades through 8 p.m. Tuesday, but Fox said around 5 p.m. the warning had been lifted.

The rest of the week will likely be on the cool side, with low temperatures nearing freezing, the weather service predicted.

High temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s, topping out at 66 degrees Thursday in Spokane.

Wind will return Friday afternoon and evening, with gusts between 30 and 40 mph, but it will likely remain dry through the Spokane area.

Through the weekend, high temperatures will hover around 50 degrees with likely freezing temperatures overnight, which is below normal for the season.