Bomb Cyclone Hits Washington, Oregon, California

T​he Northwest is dealing with storm damage and widespread power outages after a bomb cyclone hit the region. Falling trees killed at least two people, destructive winds left hundreds of thousands without power and altered the wooded landscape of the Pacific Northwest. The storm brought gusts over 70 mph to some places and is ushering in an atmospheric river that will bring heavy rain, wind and snow to parts of the Northwest until Friday.

Here are our updates from Wednesday:

(4:22 p.m. ET) California Expanding Resource Prepositioning Efforts

California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services is expanding resource prepositioning, such as additional fire engines, search and rescue, a helicopter and more, to more counties in the state. A wider area of debris flows threats makes the expansion necessary.

“We’re now deploying additional resources to counties that are increasingly likely to experience severe weather or mud and debris flow concerns,” Cal OES Fire Chief Brian Marshall said, according to a statement released by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. “This is part of our commitment to staying ahead of impacts and keeping Californians safe.”

(4:02 p.m. ET) NWS Seattle Updates About Radio Transmissions

Seattle area Weather Radio remains off air until further notice, as well as the Puget Sound Marine transmitter. Technicians are unable to reach the site for repairs due to downed trees and power lines.

(3:50 p.m. ET) Whiteout Conditions In Yreka

The California Highway Patrol in Yreka, California, reports low visibility and whiteout conditions on Interstate 5 north of Weed. Motorists are warned to avoid the area Interstate 5 southbound is closed at Edgewood as the area experiences heavy snowfall.

T​he California Highway Patrol Northern Division posted on X that chain requirements were issued in several areas throughout Northern California. Chain requirements and road closures are updated here.

(3:44 p.m. ET) Flights Delayed At San Francisco International Airport

About 35% of flights into San Francisco International Airport are delayed according to FlightAware.com. About 15% of departing flights from the airport are delayed as well. A total of 50 flights into and out of San Francisco International Airport are canceled.

(3:34 p.m. ET) Here’s What It Means To Have A “High Risk” Flood Threat

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center issued a rare high-risk excessive rainfall outlook for northern California Thursday.

This means that the flooding is expected to be deadly and destructive. It won’t be your typical road flooding from a soaking rain.

One-third of all U.S. flood deaths from 2010 – 2022 occurred during a high risk forecast, according to research by meteorologists Alex Lamers and Ashton Robinson-Cook at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. Nearly half — 46% — of high risk flood days had at least one fatality or injury, according to NOAA/WPC.

(MORE: Why You Should Pay Attention To “High Risk” Flood Forecasts)

(2:36 p.m. ET) Photos From Issaquah Show Tree-Littered Roads

Images show what the town of Issaquah, Washington, is dealing with — trees and branches covering roads, road closures, downed power lines and other scattered storm damage litter the streets. It’s a visual representation of the work ahead for communities in the Northwest, but the storm isn’t over.

(2:24 p.m. ET) Metro Bus Hit By Tree In King County

No injuries are reported after a large tree fell onto a King County Metro Bus Tuesday night during the storm’s heavy winds. The tree fell across from a gas station on 35th Avenue Northeast near Northgate.

(​1:55 p.m. ET) Power Could Be Out For Days

P​uget Sound Energy says the storm caused extensive damage to its system.

“We anticipate a multiple day outage and encourage customers with critical needs to make alternate plans as we work to assess the situation and restore power,” the company said on its website.

Y​ou can check the PSE outage map here.

(​1:48 p.m. ET) Washington Street ‘Looks Like A Forest Floor’

Form The Associated Press:

Tracy Meloy of Issaquah, Washington, felt well-prepared for the storm Tuesday afternoon, with dinner prepped and lanterns ready. But then she spent the night listening to wind-whipped debris hit the outside of her home, including a particularly loud “thump” around 9 p.m. This morning, she ventured outside to survey the damage to her neighborhood about 17 miles east of Seattle.

“Now that I’m standing here in front of the house, I can tell it’s the tree that was across the street,” Meloy said.

The tree pulled down the power lines in front of her home. Limbs, leaves and other plants were strewn all over the road.

“It looks like a forest floor instead of a street,” she said.

(1:03 p.m. ET) Power Outages Rise In California, Decrease In Washington

Washington outages decreased to about 491,000 customers, down from this morning’s high of 600,000.

(12:27 p.m. ET) Second Death Reported In Washington

A woman was killed in the Bridal Trails neighborhood of Bellevue, Washington, Tuesday night when a tree fell on a home. Bellevue Fire Department responded to the scene and transported the decedent’s spouse to safety. Bellevue Fire Department shared this photo of the scene:

(12:02 p.m. ET) Photos Show Damage In Snohomish County

Photos posted by Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue and Snohomish County Public Utilities Department show trees and power lines down in the area. The images are just a taste of what the county and region are dealing with during this storm.

(11:50 a.m. ET) NWS Seattle Office Loses Power

NOAA radio transmissions from the National Weather Service Office in Seattle are affected after the office lost power Tuesday night. It isn’t immediately clear whether the radio transmissions were back on air Wednesday.

(11: 40 a.m. ET) Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue: Too Many Trees Down To List

Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue posted on social media that there were so many trees and power lines down “we would be posting the locations till [sic] the lights turn on.”

The account also posted images of downed trees and damaged vehicles in Lake Stevens.

(11:33 a.m. ET) Roads Closed And Public Transport Delayed

Downed trees across Puget Sound are affecting road transportation. Commuters are told to give themselves extra time to reach their destinations.

State Route 18 is closed in Issaquah between Interstate 90 and Issaquah-Hobart Road. There was no estimation of when the road would reopen.

Sound Transit light rail service saw a two hour delay, beginning service at 7 a.m. rather than the usual 5 a.m. departure. King County Metro is still assessing routes, and bus service is affected by traffic and downed trees. Riders are advised to check service alerts.

(11:03 a.m. ET) One Of The Strongest Storms On Record

From weather.com digital meteorologist Chris Dolce:

This is one of the strongest storms on record for the northeast Pacific. The storm’s pressure dropped to an estimated 942 millibars, putting it on par with an October 2021 storm clocking the lowest pressure in about 50 years of recorded storms in the region.

(10:56 a.m. ET) What Is A Bomb Cyclone?

The term “bomb cyclone” comes from the meteorological term “bombogenesis.” This is when the central pressure of a low-pressure system plummets at least 24 millibars within 24 hours. It means a storm is intensifying quickly, which can lead to more severe impacts.

Bombogenesis is more common in the East, but can happen elsewhere in the U.S. Bomb cyclones typically occur from October to March, due to the temperature contrast as well as powerful jetstream disturbances that are more common in the colder months.

(MORE: Bomb Cyclone 101)

(10:40 a.m. ET) Amtrak Strikes Fallen Tree

Crews are working on assessing damage after an Amtrak train struck a fallen tree in Washington’s Snohomish County Tuesday night, KIRO7 reported. The incident occurred in Stanwood near 212 Street Northwest and Knutson Road around 8:30 p.m. The train was disabled and passengers were transported via charter bus. No injuries are reported.

(9:53 a.m. ET) What The Atmospheric River Has In Store

From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:

The storm is tapping in a strong, long-lasting atmospheric river that will impact Northern California and southern Oregon through Friday night. Heavy rain, feet of mountain snow and lingering strong winds are expected.

Some areas could see 8 -12 inches of additional rain, with isolated rain totals of 15 inches.

This will likely trigger increasing flash flooding, some river flooding and landslides, particularly over areas recently burned by wildfires. NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has put northwest California under a rare high-risk flood threat for Thursday and Thursday night.

(8:55 a.m. ET) Mount Shasta Under Avalanche Warning Until Thursday

A​reas above 7,000 feet in the Mount Shasta, Castle Lake, The Eddy Mountains and Ash Creek Butte areas are under an avalanche warning until Thursday.

The warning, which was issued Tuesday at noon by the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center, states that “natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely and may run long distances into lower terrain. Slopes steeper than 30 degrees should be avoided.”

(8:29 a.m. ET) 600,000 Customers Lose Power In Washington

I​n Washington alone, more than 600,000 customers were without power Wednesday morning. The majority of the outages were concentrated in King County, according to PowerOutage.us. The number decreased to about 578,000 as the region got closer to daybreak. In Northwestern California, about 15,000 customers are without power Wednesday morning.

(8:23 a.m. ET) O​ne Dead, Two Injured In Washington

At least one person died when a tree fell in a homeless encampment in Lynwood, Washington. In Maple Valley, Washington, two people were injured when a tree fell on a trailer.