'Bomb cyclone' kills 2 and knocks out power to over half a million homes across the US Northwest

It’s not necessarily how much rain falls; it’s how fast the rain falls,

Rowe said Thursday

The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening and Monday morning commutes as roads become slick and snow covered,

the service said

In the Cascades and mountains of northern California, a heavy snow threat will unfold as several feet of accumulation are possible. Strong winds will combine with snow to produce potential blizzard conditions,

the Weather Prediction Center said

The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages,

the NWS office in Spokane said

Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines,

the National Weather Service in Seattle posted in a warning

We had two Category 5 storms here in 2024,

Gifford said

Back-to-back powerful Pacific storm systems to impact the West Coast through the end of this week with heavy rain, life-threatening flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow,

the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted in a social media post

We know that the intensity of these storms is causing a lot more catastrophic damage in general,

lead study author Daniel Gifford, a climate scientist at Climate Central, which does research on global warming, told the Associated Press news agency

The biggest surge is Thursday. We're looking at 10-15 inches of rain by Friday, some places, 20-inches,

Otto said, with the main concerns for southwest Oregon and Northern California

We haven't gotten a ton of rain yet, just 2-3 inches over Southwest Oregon and Northern California,

Otto said

The storm is just beginning,

said Rich Otto, a meteorologist with the NWS Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland

We are hearing reports of extensive numbers of downed lines and are urging our customers to never touch or go within 30 feet of downed power lines because they might be energized,

PSE said, thanking customers for their patience

Severe winds from this evening's bomb cyclone ripped through western Washington, causing a mass outage event throughout most of our service area, with the biggest impact in King County,

Puget Sound Energy (PSE), ... Washington state's largest energy utility, said on X in the early hours of Wednesday morning

Trees are coming down all over the city & falling onto homes, ... If you can, go to the lowest floor and stay away from windows. Do not go outside if you can avoid it.”

the fire department in Bellevue, about 10 miles (16 kilometres) east of Seattle, posted on the social platform X

It felt explosive, like there was a bomb going off,

Harrington said

We are currently assessing the situation,

Avista Utilities also continued to report the areas affected by the outages on X, noting

Secure loose outdoor items. Stay clear of trees and downed power lines. Prepare for power outages."

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Seattle issued a warning for the incoming storm, telling locals to

We appreciate your patience as we respond to outages with safety as our top priority."

The company added

Stay safe by avoiding exterior rooms and windows and by using caution when driving.”

The national Weather Service warned people on the West Coast about the danger of trees during high winds, posting on X