Valley experiences different kind of wind power

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Winds knocked out power to hundreds across the Yakima Valley on Tuesday afternoon and evening, but authorities are bracing for more problems today when even higher winds, including gusts of up to 70 mph, are expected to hit.

"We haven't had this kind of weather in a long time," Yakima County Emergency Management Services director Jim Hall said. "What happens is pretty hard to predict."

Expect sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph, with much higher gusts, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a high wind warning for the Yakima Valley and much of the Pacific Northwest. The warning is expected to last until 10 tonight.

Authorities warn that motorists in larger vehicles, such as campers and trucks, should use caution while driving, including keeping an eye out for falling limbs and other debris that could end up on the road.

On Tuesday, winds of more than 30 mph, and gusts of up to 50 mph, knocked out power in scattered sections of the Yakima Valley stretching from downtown Yakima as far west as the White Pass area and as far south as White Swan.

In Klickitat County, winds pushed a semi-truck and trailer onto its side blocking State Route 14 for three hours.

In downtown Yakima, winds nearly toppled a power pole behind Ron's Coin & Book on North Third Street, forcing crews to close the alley and empty the parking lot. About 110 power customers, including the Yakima County jail, were without electricity from about 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Jail officials called the loss of power a mild inconvenience, which caused no disturbances among inmates.

Next door to Ron's Coin & Book, Essencia Artisan Bakery owner Jean Scheid was lighting candles for customers who remained after the power went out. Scheid said she didn't want to turn out the few remaining customers just because of a lack of power.

"You've got to be flexible in this world," she said.

Lack of power forced Ron's Coin & Book owner Joe Mann to turn away customers because he said he was unable to operate the cash register.

"I can't ring up anything until the power comes back on," Mann said.

About the time power was restored downtown, some 200 customers in Naches Heights and 30 in Gleed lost power, according to a spokesman for Pacific Power. Shortly after 6 p.m. several areas in the Lower Valley lost power. All the problems were believed to be wind-caused.

High winds knocked down a tree limb, which cut power to several customers in the White Pass area Tuesday.

The White Pass Ski Area didn't open chairlifts serving Paradise Basin due to high winds, said ski area spokeswoman Kathleen Gaudette.

The ski area recorded a gust of 77 mph Tuesday. White Pass also got as much as 10 inches of snow in places.

The new snow only adds to avalanche danger outside the ski area's boundaries. Staff performs avalanche control inside the boundaries.

"It's heavy, wet stuff, and it's going to slide," Gaudette said.

Multiple avalanches closed Stevens Pass shortly after 5 p.m. No cars or trucks were struck by the slides, which were all west of the summit. But the pass wasn't expected to open until sometime this morning.

Transportation workers closed Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass from 1 a.m. until noon Tuesday while crews performed avalanche control work.

More avalanche control work could be necessary today depending on how much snow falls overnight, Transportation Department spokeswoman Meagan McFadden said.

A winter weather warning is in effect today for the Cascade mountain passes until midnight, McFadden said.

Meanwhile, the mix of precipitation, wind and mild temperatures will swell area rivers, but none are expected to reach flood stage, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center.

The Yakima River at Umtanum in the Yakima River Canyon also is forecast to rise 3 feet to more than 34 feet today. Flood Stage is 35.5 feet.

The Naches River at Naches is forecast to reach 15.5 feet late today, where flood stage is 17.8 feet.

The Yakima River at Parker, south of Union Gap, will rise an estimated 4 feet by Thursday to 7.5 feet. Flood stage there is 10 feet.

* Reporter David Lester contributed to this report.