Winds knock out power throughout Inland Northwest

Gusts up to about 50 mph brought an urgent wind advisory from the National Weather Service Spokane and knocked out power to nearly 50,000 homes across the Inland Northwest on Sunday night.

Mark Turner, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Spokane, said at about 10 p.m. the highest gust of wind recorded so far at the Spokane International Airport was 47 mph. The weather service received reports of 53 mph gusts in Sandpoint and Athol.

He said the storm was probably near its peak. The weather service’s wind advisory expires at 2 a.m.

Avista reported reported 13,890 customers without power just before 10 p.m. Inland Power and Light reported 6,356 without power.

Northern Lights Electric in North Idaho and Western Montana reported nearly 16,000 without power and the Kootenai Electric Cooperative reported 8,458 without power.