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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Millions of people across more than a dozen states were warned to stay away from their windows on Wednesday as strong winds whipped across the United States.
The winds come after a powerful atmospheric river slammed into the Pacific Northwest, and now dangerous and gusty conditions are spreading inward across the Northern Plains and Intermountain West. National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists issued many high wind warnings on Wednesday, including in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Iowa. Less severe wind advisories were also widespread.
Winds were so strong that energy officials conducted planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs for 50,000 people in Colorado on Wednesday amid wildfire concerns. Other people were told to remain indoors during the extent of the windstorm on Wednesday.
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"Remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows," the NWS office in Pendleton, Oregon, said in the warning. "Watch for falling debris and tree limbs. Use caution if you must drive."
Although they do happen sporadically, high wind events this strong aren't a yearly occurrence for the Pendleton forecast area, NWS meteorologist Christel Bennese told Newsweek. More atmospheric rivers are expected to move onshore in the coming days, but Bennese said she doubted the winds would be as severe as they were on Wednesday.
Wind gusts could reach speeds of more than 100 mph in some cases. The NWS office in Great Falls, Montana, stressed that it would be a "dangerous situation" with travel expected to be "very difficult to impossible."
Cities within the high wind warning areas include Seattle, Tacoma, Helena, Missoula, Cody, Pierre, Denver, Boulder and countless others.
"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 said in the warning.
In some cases, the high wind warnings will expire on Wednesday afternoon, but the dangerous conditions will persist through late Thursday morning in other areas.
The strong winds prompted meteorologists to issue related warnings in some cases, such as blizzard warnings in areas with falling snow and red flag warnings in areas with low relative humidity.
"Low elevation rain and mountain/Northern Plains snow will combine with high winds resulting in widespread impacts," the NWS said in a Wednesday forecast. "Widespread damaging wind gusts of 50-70 mph are forecast across much of the Northwest U.S., Rockies, and Plains today. Elevated to critical fire weather expected in eastern Colorado today."
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