Bomb cyclone knocks out power to 500,000 in Washington, snow is forecast from the Plains to Northeast as Americans gear up for Thanksgiving travel [Video]

A bomb cyclone slammed into the Pacific Northwest overnight with hurricane-force winds, downing trees, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of people and leaving at least one person dead.

CNN reported that a woman in her 50s was killed in Lynnwood, Wash., on Tuesday night when a tree fell on a homeless encampment.

According to PowerOutage.us, more than 500,000 customers were without power in Washington state early Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said winds of up to 101 mph were recorded off the coast of British Columbia with gusts up to 77 mph felt in inland Washington.

‘Atmospheric river’ on West Coast

While the high winds were expected to subside, a subsequent “atmospheric river event” is expected to bring heavy rain and snow to much of northern California, Oregon, and Washington over multiple days.

“When combined with heavy snowfall at the higher elevations, blizzard conditions are in the forecast throughout the Washington Cascades,” …