Powerful Wind Event Battering the West Now Headed East

The biggest weather story of the week has been the high winds that have impacted a large portion of the western U.S. These volatile winds are now sweeping across the Rockies and the Plains on their way to the East Coast. Here are the latest details on this cross-country wind event.

Powerful Wind Event Shifts from Western U.S. to the East

High winds will continue to batter the interior West, the Midwest, and the Northeast through late Friday. To say that it has been a blustery week is an understatement. The high wind event erupted early in the week across the Pacific Northwest as a potent atmospheric river roared ashore.

Approximately 750,000 customers were left without power from Seattle to Denver as the winds whipped through the western half of the country. The top wind gusts were reported in the higher terrains. These high readings include a gust of 144 mph at Mount Coffin, Wyoming, a powerful gust of 142 mph at Coldwater Ridge, Washington, and 138 mph notched at Mount Hood, Oregon.

At least nine states recorded winds of over 100 mph over the last few days. The windy conditions pushed into the northern Plains by late Wednesday. For example, a gust of 98 mph was confirmed at Buffalo, South Dakota, at this time.