Strong winds with gusts up to 53 mph blew through Spokane Wednesday, toppling numerous large trees and knocking down powerlines.  Wind damage was reported from the South Hill through Hillyard to Mead.

A "Wind Advisory" was in effect for most of the day, but the strongest winds happened between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  The low pressure system responsible for Wednesday's high winds is now long gone.  Expect calmer and cooler conditions for Thursday with mostly sunny skies.

The National Weather Service also released a list of local wind damage. The report names the following incidents:

Kris Crocker, KXLY4 meteorologist, writes on her Facebook: "There's no shortage of weather." According to the National Weather Service, this is the weather you can expect for the rest of the day in your region. 

Aren't you glad it's the weekend? 

Get out your 2012 daily planner, you’re going to need it for these neat astronomical events that Inland Northwest neighbors will be able to view from their own backyard - or at least a very tall hill. 

This is simply a general reminder. When it comes closer to the event, we’ll coordinate with your region’s astronomy clubs to see where the best place to view them will be.

Quadrantid Meteor Shower

North America is also the prime viewing location for this annual meteor shower. Quadrantid is named after a now extinct constellation. Astronomers believe the Quadrantids come from a parent asteroid.

The best viewing time is the morning of January 4th around 3 a.m. local time until dawn. Dress warmly.

Annular Eclipse

The Western United States has a chance to watch an annular eclipse of the sun on May 20th. The eclipse is completely visible from our neck of the woods and only partially visible from the rest of North America.