Spokane, Washington Power Outage Today

How reliable is Avista service in Spokane?

Avista is an investor-owned utility with 270,134 customers. In 2024 its customers averaged 0.96 interruptions and 152 minutes (about 2.5 hours) without power, so the average outage lasted about 2.6 hours.

Major event days, the severe-weather days that utilities report separately, made up about 26% of that time. Without them the average is 112 minutes, so weather matters here but ordinary equipment faults and tree contact account for most of the total.

Outages are infrequent, fewer than one per customer a year, and each was fixed in about 2.6 hours on average.

For comparison, Washington as a whole averaged 624 minutes and the United States 614 minutes. That puts Avista below the state average, which is better.

Among the 27 utilities in Washington with at least 5,000 customers that report to the federal government, Avista ranks 6th for the fewest outage minutes (1 is best). Nationally, 57% of the 926 utilities of that size reported more outage minutes in 2024.

These are the figures the utility itself reported to the US Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-861, 2024) and describe the whole service territory, not one street. Your own address can be better or worse.

Storm season and outages in Spokane

NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists 105 storm reports for Spokane County from 2015 through 2025, most often thunderstorm wind (50), flood (23), hail (8), and flash flood (7). The busiest full year was 2024 with 19 reports and the quietest was 2018 with 1, so the risk changes a lot from one year to the next.

Reports peak in May (24 since 2015), followed by June and July. October is outside those three months, so an outage now is less likely to be weather-related.

NOAA’s own narratives name power outages in 27 storm episodes in Spokane County since 2015, most often in October. That count is a floor, since the database records outages only when a spotter or agency mentions them.

What the most common storm types in Spokane do to the grid:

• Thunderstorm wind. Straight-line wind pushes trees and limbs into distribution lines. These outages are usually local, a street or a neighborhood at a time, and crews clear them circuit by circuit.
• Flood. Floodwater reaches ground-level transformers, meters and low-lying substations. Utilities may shut power off ahead of the water on purpose, and wading near flooded equipment can electrocute.
• Lightning. Lightning trips breakers, burns out transformers and can damage electronics connected to the grid; a surge protector on valuable equipment is cheap insurance.

Storm reports that name Spokane

Within Spokane County, 52 NOAA storm reports since 2015 name Spokane as their location or in their description: thunderstorm wind (28), flood (14), lightning (3), and hail (2). That is about 50% of the county’s reports, so Spokane accounts for much of the county’s storm history. Reports naming Spokane are most common in May. The busiest full year was 2024 with 11.

In NOAA’s own words, storms that left Spokane without power:

• September 25, 2024 (thunderstorm wind): “Numerous power lines were down near intersection of Little Spokane and Wandermere in North Spokane.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• June 27, 2023 (thunderstorm wind): “Downed power lines and outages in Spokane County 4 Miles SW of Chattaroy.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
• May 2, 2020 (thunderstorm wind): “A utility company reported approximately 45,000 customers without power, mainly in the Cheney and southwest Spokane area, due to branches falling on the power lines.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database

Who a power outage hits hardest in Spokane

54.1% of occupied homes in Spokane are heated with piped natural gas, and 42% with electricity (US 41.3% electric). A gas furnace still needs electricity for its blower and ignition, so a long winter outage leaves these homes cold too, though a gas supply stays on when the grid fails. Never heat a home with an oven, grill or camp stove indoors.

Residents aged 65 or older are 16.6% of the population in Spokane, close to the US share of 17.2% and 17% report a disability (US 13.3%). These are the households most likely to depend on powered medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines and refrigerated medicine. If someone in your home does, ask Avista whether it keeps a priority or medical-needs list, and register before the next storm rather than during it.

About the housing: 55.6% of the housing in Spokane was built before 1970 (US 35.5%), and older neighborhoods often have overhead service lines and mature trees close to the wires, which makes them more exposed to storm outages.

Median household income in Spokane is $70,064, below the Washington figure of $98,141. For many households, replacing a freezer of spoiled food or paying for a hotel during a long outage is a real hardship; dialing 211 connects to local shelters, warming or cooling centers and utility assistance programs.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (housing, heating fuel, age and disability tables).

Backup power and electricity use in Spokane

The average Avista home used about 901 kWh a month in 2024 (US average 892 kWh), an average draw of 1.2 kW around the clock, and paid about 11.9 cents per kWh (11.9 in the state, 15.8 nationally), roughly $107 a month.

Keeping only the essentials on (a refrigerator, router, a few lights and phone chargers, about 400 watts) through an outage that lasts the average about 2.6 hours takes about 1.1 kWh. A portable power station or a power bank covers that; a generator is more than most households here need for a typical outage.

A generator must never run indoors, in a garage or near a window; generator and food-safety rules are in the power outage guide linked below.

If the power is out in Spokane

About 228,989 people live in Spokane, the 2nd largest of the 10 Washington cities on this site. Report the outage to the utility so a ticket exists for your address, then check Avista’s outage map for an estimate. If neighbors have power and you do not, report it again: the fault may be on the line to your house alone, which is a separate repair.

Spokane power outage map

Avista’s outage map has the official restoration estimate for your address; the count above comes from residents. Food and generator safety: power outage guide.

Spokane power outage questions