Power Outage Reported Across Western Washington

As of December 17, 2025, a powerful winter storm system is sweeping across the region, triggering widespread power outages that have left thousands of residents in the dark.

From the tech hubs of King County to the coastal reaches of Clallam, the "Big Dark" has become literal. While our utility crews are currently playing a high-stakes game of "connect the wires" in 45 mph winds, the rest of us are left wondering when the Wi-Fi and the heat will return.

This isn't just your run-of-the-mill drizzle. A dual-threat weather event comprised of damaging winds and saturated soil from record-breaking rains is the primary culprit behind today's power outage.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Seattle issued a High Wind Warning early Wednesday morning. Forecasters tracked southwest winds sustained at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts peaking at a staggering 45 to 65 mph in some corridors.

When you combine those gusts with trees that are already standing in "mud soup" due to recent flooding, you get the perfect recipe for disaster. Tree limbs are snapping like toothpicks, and in many areas, entire Douglas firs are toppling directly onto distribution lines. 

"Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles." — NWS Spokane/Seattle Advisory, Dec 17, 2025.

The impact of the storm is widespread, but some counties are bearing the brunt of the grid's instability. According to the Washington State Utility Outage Map (ODIN) and local utility dashboards, the numbers are shifting rapidly.

County	Estimated Customers Without Power	Primary Utility Provider
King County	45,000+	Seattle City Light / PSE
Pierce County	12,000+	Puget Sound Energy (PSE)
Snohomish County	8,500+	Snohomish County PUD
Kitsap County	5,200+	Puget Sound Energy
Thurston County	3,100+	Puget Sound Energy

Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy reported thousands of customers without power as early as Tuesday evening, with numbers spiking during the Wednesday morning commute. Major disruptions were reported in the South King County area, particularly around Auburn, Kent, and Renton, where flooding has also forced evacuations.

Snohomish PUD crews are currently out in force. The combination of saturated ground and high winds near Camano Island and Stanwood has made restoration tricky. Crews are often finding that as soon as they fix one line, a neighboring tree brings down another.

If you are reading this on a smartphone with 12% battery left, speed is of the essence. You don't need to guess when the power will return you can track the "boots on the ground" via official utility maps.

• Puget Sound Energy (PSE): Visit the PSE Outage Map. You can search by address to see if a crew has been assigned to your specific neighborhood.

• Seattle City Light: Check the City Light Outage Map or call (206) 684-3000 to report a new outage.

• Snohomish County PUD: Use the SnoPUD Outage Map for real-time updates on cause and estimated time of restoration (ETR).

• Tacoma Public Utilities: View updates at TPU Outage Map.

If you see a downed power line, stay at least 30 feet away. Even if it isn't sparking, it could be live. Call 911 immediately rather than reporting it via an app.

A power outage in December is more than just an inconvenience it’s a temperature challenge. With the mercury hovering in the low 40s, keeping your home safe and warm is priority number one.

The "Do's and Don'ts" of a Winter Outage

1. Don't use the Stove for Heat: It might seem like a good idea to turn on the gas range, but the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is lethally real.

2. Do Keep the Fridge Closed: An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will hold its temperature for 48 hours. If you're in the dark for longer, the backyard is currently a natural refrigerator—just watch out for raccoons.

3. Generator Safety: If you have a backup generator, never run it indoors or in a garage. Keep it at least 20 feet away from windows and doors to prevent exhaust from entering your living space.

4. Disconnect Electronics: When the grid eventually "wakes up," it often sends a surge. Unplug your computers and expensive TVs now to prevent a fried motherboard later.

We often wonder why it takes six hours to fix a single wire. In Western Washington, the logistics are a nightmare.

Utility crews often have to wait for wind speeds to drop below 30-35 mph before they can safely take a bucket truck into the air. Furthermore, with the current state of State Route 2 and SR 167—both of which have faced closures due to landslides and flooding—simply getting the repair trucks to the site is an Olympic-level feat.

Governor Bob Ferguson noted that the state is "in for the long haul" as the barrage of storms continues to saturate the region. For some remote areas in the Cascades, restoration may take days rather than hours as crews navigate mudslides and washed-out roads.