Batten down the hatches: It's going to be a windy night across Puget Sound

As if we needed further evidence that winter is on its way, the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for this evening, warning that powerful gusts will sweep through many communities throughout western Washington for the first half of the night, particularly cities and towns adjacent to Puget Sound:

...A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE PUGET SOUND AREA AND EASTERN PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS FROM EVERETT MARYSVILLE SOUTHWARD...FOR THE LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY...AND FOR THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR UNTIL 1 AM PST TUESDAY MORNING...

...A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...THE ADMIRALTY INLET AREA...WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY... AND THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS UNTIL 1 AM PST TUESDAY MORNING...

.STRONG WESTERLY FLOW MOVING IN THROUGH THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA WILL GIVE STRONG WINDS TO AREAS ADJACENT TO THE STRAIT UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY. VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING OVER THE REMAINING LOWLAND AREAS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON EXCEPT FOR WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY. WINDS WILL DIMINISH LATE TONIGHT.

UPDATE, 10:40 PM: Power is out for more than 100,000 people across the region as of this hour, including nearly 50,000 Puget Sound Energy customers and 18,000 Seattle City Light customers. Besides knocking out power, fallen trees are blocking some roads and causing damage to houses.

The strongest winds have been on Whidbey Island, which is mostly dark right now, according to news reports; a gust of 61 miles per hour was recorded in Oak Harbor.