LIVE UPDATES: WA power outages, flooding, blizzard warning, road closures

SEATTLE - As western Washington continues to grapple with flooding across the region, with multiple levee breaks in King County, continuous rain, wind and mountain snow are expected to cause widespread impacts.

Local river levels are expected to rise, and a few spots could get close to major flooding. A blizzard warning went into effect for the Washington Cascades and Olympics until noon, and strong winds have knocked out power to hundreds of thousands.

Keep reading for live weather updates for Wednesday, Dec. 17.

9 p.m.: Snow returns to Summit at Snoqualmie

The slopes at the Summit at Snoqualmie were bare last week after heavy rain washed away most of the early-season snow on the mountain. Now, the ski resort is seeing snow back on the ground.

The Summit remains hopeful as colder temperatures and more mountain snow are in the forecast, a good sign for skiers and snowboarders. The mountain previously allowed season pass holders to request a rollover to next season.

An overnight blizzard for the Washington Cascades and Olympics ended at noon Wednesday.

7 p.m.: Sumas flooding hit up to 10 feet

Fire officials say the city of Sumas saw up to 10 feet of flooding last week, which led to nearly 90% of the town being evacuated and over 50 rescues.

Whatcom County Fire District 14 said there is still two feet of standing water at their fire station, but they remain operational and are still responding to all calls for service.

WSDOT cameras captured most of Sumas completely underwater last Thursday, as surrounding Whatcom County communities also saw severe flooding. Water levels are expected to gradually drop across the region in the coming days.

6:29 p.m.: US 2 closure leaves Skykomish businesses stranded

Forty-two miles of U.S. Highway 2 remain closed after floodwaters washed out the roadway just east of Skykomish, leaving Washington State Department of Transportation leaders scrambling for solutions and mountain corridor businesses facing an uncertain future.

The closure has effectively turned parts of Skykomish into a dead end, cutting off traffic that businesses rely on, especially during winter.

Many customers used to stop in for food before continuing their drive over to Leavenworth or up to the Stevens Pass ski area. Now, with the highway closed just four miles up the road, that flow of customers has all but disappeared.

5:00 p.m.: Drivers urged to use caution

While the stormy weather has mostly passed, Washington drivers are still being urged to use caution on local roads.

Snohomish County PUD reminded drivers to not go around road closure signs, showcasing an SUV that collided with a downed power pole, which delayed restoration efforts.

The National Weather Service is also forecasting more snow to fall in the mountains through Friday, along with a slight chance of freezing rain Thursday afternoon. Drivers are urged to be careful on the passes, slow down and leave extra space between vehicles.

3 p.m.: Power outages persist in western Washington

After more than 500,000 people in western Washington lost power Wednesday morning, many outages persisted into the afternoon.

More than 100,000 Washingtonians are still in the dark. Puget Sound Energy is reporting 96,000 outages as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Wind gusts reached up to 71 mph in some areas at one point. While the most powerful winds are behind us, even more winds are expected on Thursday, though they likely won't be as strong.

11:07 a.m.: Southbound SR 167 is now open between Kent and Auburn

State Route 167 between S 212th St in Kent and 15th St NW in Auburn has been closed in both directions due to water over the road but on Wednesday WSDOT announced southbound lanes reopened. 

Northbound remains closed but crews are working to place sandbags and pumping water off the roadway. There is still no estimated time of when northbound lanes will reopen. 

10:29 a.m.: Crews continue to restore power 

Thousands are still without power and crews are continuing to restore it throughout the region. 

The Snohomish County PUD is asking the public to give crews plenty of space on roadways as they work to restore power. 

9:39 a.m.: Lakewood road closed because of tree on power lines

Gravelly Lake Drive SW between Lake Steilacoom Drive and Tower Road in Lakewod is closed because a fallen tree on power lines. 

Drivers are being asked to find alternate routes. 

9:12 a.m.: Old King County Code Red alerts being resent in Kent, WA

The city of Kent said there are no evacuation notices at this time after some old King County Code Red alerts were resent on Wednesday. The evacuations were from earlier this week. 

Residents are urged to go to the city's website and social channels for updated alerts. 

8:37 a.m.: Downed power lines on US 2 off-ramp in Everett, WA

Drivers traveling on US 2 in Everett should expect delays after downed power lines closed the off-ramp to 20th Street. 

Police are at the scene but there is no estimate for when the ramp will reopen. 

8:31 a.m.: WSDOT gives update on SR 167

Both directions of State Route 167 remain closed between Auburn and Kent due to water over the roadway. 

David Rasbach with the Washington State Department of Transportation told Good Day Seattle the agency is waiting for the water to recede, so its crews can properly assess the roadway and reopen it as soon as it is safe for travel.

8:12 a.m.: Island, Thurston and Pierce counties hit hardest by power outages

Gerald Tracy with Puget Sound Energy joined Good Day Seattle to discuss the main problem spots for outages. 

"We're really seeing most of our outages at right now are Island, Thurston and Pierce counties," Tracy said. "A lot of large trees being down blocking the way. So trees being down is really the big issue today. 

7:47 a.m.: ‘A lot of trees are falling down’ on US 12

WSDOT crews said a lot of trees are falling down on US 12/White Pass. 

In addition to the fallen trees, strong winds and blowing snow are causing low visibility. 

6:45 a.m.: US 101 near Hoodsport in Mason County closed

A slide has closed US 101 near Hoodsport. 

WSDOT says engineering geologists will be checking the hillside to determine the next steps. 

6:37 a.m.: US-12 White Pass closed 

Hazardous conditions, high winds and numerous fallen trees have closed down US-12 White Pass. 

WSDOT says eastbound traffic is stopped at Packwood milepost 135 and westbound traffic is stopped at the Oak Creek Feeding Station, milepost 183, three miles west of the Junction of SR 410.

It's not known when the road will reopen. 

6:10 a.m.: Tens of thousands WA customers without power

Here are the latest numbers as of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday:

• Clark: 79,745
• Snohomish: 60,983
• Pierce: 56,299
• Island: 31,287
• Thurston: 25,352
• Grays Harbor: 22,110
• Lewis: 12,461
• Cowlitz: 12,071

5:51 a.m.: Renton road closed due to tree leaning on power lines

Benson Rd. S. between S. 26th St. to 106th Ave. SE in Renton is closed due to a tree leaning on power lines over the roadway. 

5:31 a.m.: Tree crashes into home in Tacoma, WA

After 1:50 a.m., crews responded to a report of a large cedar tree in a home on East 82nd Street in Tacoma. 

The Tacoma Fire Department said the tree took out power lines and the gas meter to the home. 

No injuries were reported. 

5:18 a.m.: Trees reported down on SR 109 in Grays Harbor

WSDOT announced that both directions of State Route 109 are closed in both directions at milepost 24. 

5:15 a.m.: WA school districts announce closures, delays

Several school districts in western Washington are closed or delayed on Wednesday, Dec. 17, after a storm moved in overnight.

FOX 13 Seattle has an updated list. 

4:51 a.m.: Road closures in Renton

The city of Renton said several roads are closed due to flooding, a downed tree and power lines. 

As of Wednesday morning, the following roads were still closed:

• NE 23rd St. and Edmonds Ave.
• Logan Ave. in both directions from N. 3rd St. to N. 6th St.
• Burnett Ave. N. in both directions between N. 4th St. to N. 6th St.

4:45 a.m.: Cedar River at Phase 4 

The King County Flood Warning Center says the Cedar River is at a Phase 4 on Wednesday. They are warning people that several roads that provide access to neighborhoods may be impacted. 

For an updated map and list, click here. 

4:35 a.m.: I-5 off-ramp in SeaTac closed due to debris

WSDOT crews are working to clear debris on the northbound I-5 off-ramp to South 216th Street.

As of 2:30 a.m., the ramp was closed and it's not known when it will reopen. Drivers are asked to take alternate routes. 

4:22 a.m.: Partial building collapse in Aberdeen, WA

Part of a building collapsed Tuesday night in Aberdeen due to high winds. 

The incident happened near S I Street and East Wishkah Street. 

According to police, the left lane and south sidewalk will be closed during the morning commute, and drivers are being asked to drive slow and allow extra time during the morning commute. 

4:15 a.m.: Northbound SR 169 in Renton reduced to one lane because of slide

Officials with WSDOT are warning drivers traveling on the Maple Valley Highway in Renton that northbound SR 169 is reduced to one lane near milepost 25, southeast I-405 because of a slide. 

4:00 a.m.: Nearly 400,000 without power in WA, 200,000 in OR

The latest round of wind and rain in the Pacific Northwest knocked out power to more than half a million people.

Nearly 400,000 people in Washington state and more than 200,000 in Oregon were without power as of 4:00 a.m. Wednesday.

The hardest hit counties in Washington were Clark, Pierce, Snohomish, Island, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Lewis and King counties:

• Clark: 93,912
• Pierce: 80,358
• Snohomish: 38,955
• Island: 32,533
• Thurston: 26,589
• Grays Harbor: 21,397
• Lewis: 15,992
• King: 14,880

3:50 a.m.: Heavy rain, flood warnings, blizzard warnings

Wednesday weather forecast

Rain will continue to fall across western Washington overnight, pushing several local rivers to flood stage. The Skagit River at Mt. Vernon and Concrete is forecast to hit major flood stage this week.

A High Wind Warning and Wind Advisory is in effect through early Wednesday, with wind gusts up to 60 mph possible. This could lead to downed trees and power outages.

A Blizzard Warning is in effect through Wednesday afternoon for heavy snow and gusty winds. Pass travel will be difficult, so drivers are asked to wait out the hazardous conditions.

Flooding in Pacific, WA after levee fails

A levee breach along the White River prompted Level 3 "Go Now" evacuations for parts of Pacific, Washington, as homes and cars were swamped by floodwaters overnight.

Multiple state agencies responded to the city on Tuesday to reinforce the broken levee with sandbags, while also assessing damages and helping evacuees.

This comes after a section of a levee along the Green River was also breached in Tukwila on Monday, which triggered a Flash Flood Warning for the surrounding area. Crews also used sandbags to plug the levee, which held Monday night into Tuesday.

Road closures in western Washington

Governor Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that a 50-mile stretch of US 2 Stevens Pass will likely remain closed for months following severe storm damage, with a portion of the highway washed out from flooding.

There is no timeline for when US 2 will reopen through Tumwater Canyon, with detours available via US 97 over Blewett Pass and SR 28 through Quincy.

Both directions of SR 167 are closed between South 212th Street in Kent and 15th Street Northwest in Auburn due to water on the roadway.

Interstate 90 has two eastbound lane closures near North Bend due to a landslide, and all westbound lanes are blocked near Cle Elum due to construction. SR 410 has also reopened for limited, single-lane access after a road washout.

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

New WA laws in 2026 include higher wages, luxury car tax, plastic bag fee hike

Person dead after driving car onto flooded roadway in Snohomish

Snoqualmie ski resort offering season pass rollover for late year start

'Muddy mess': Pierce County RV park residents continue flood clean-up

Wild Waves Theme Park to shut down in 2026

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

FloodingNewsWashingtonSevere WeatherWeather