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Forecast

Today - Breezy with a high of 26; partly cloudy tonight with a low of 14.

Friday - Mostly sunny with a high of 30; partly cloudy in the evening, low of 18.

Saturday - Partly sunny, high of 37; chance of snow in the evening, low of 30.

Source: National Weather Service.

A massive storm that covered parts of the Midwest and New England in snow generated wind gusts that topped 60 mph in some parts of Washington County Wednesday.

Wind speeds are expected to drop today in addition to temperatures, which are forecast to hit the teens and feel even colder, thanks to wind chill, according to the National Weather Service.

Andrew Beavers, a meteorologist with the weather service's Charleston, W.Va., office, said the storm created snow and blizzard-like conditions to the north, while those on the southern end, including the Mid-Ohio Valley, got rain and wind.

"A storm will twist so fast it creates all this wind," he said.

The highest gust recorded by the weather service was 52 mph at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport in Wood County.

At the Beebe Farm in Waterford, an anemometer measured a gust of wind at 61 mph around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, said Serina Shilling, who lives on the farm with her boyfriend, Rodney Beebe.

"It's the highest we've seen since we had it up," said Shilling.

The anemometer is part of an effort to study wind patterns at the farm to determine the feasibility of erecting windmills to provide electricity to the area, Shilling said. The anemometer is placed on a tower about 45 feet above the ground, she said.

Shilling said she didn't need the device to tell her the winds were heavy.

"Anything that was laying outside is definitely over the hill now," she said. "We did have a good pine tree fall in the middle of the pond.

"We went outside and could not stand up," Shilling said.

The winds also caused a small sternwheeler to break loose from its dock near the Lang Campsite near Oak Grove.

Connie Hughes said her father, Robert McIntosh Sr., purchased the boat during this year's Ohio River Sternwheel Festival and renamed it the Diana Gean, in honor of his daughter who passed away earlier this year.

The boat pulled away from the shore in the heavy winds, dislodging a portion of the dock. It finally broke free and floated to the other side of the Muskingum River, near the intersection of Colegate and Muskingum drives.

"It was the neatest thing," Hughes said. "It just kind of glided over there like someone was driving it."

McIntosh's son-in-law, Doug Lowe, secured the boat on that side of the river, Hughes said. It's not known what kind of damage the boat might have sustained.

"We're hoping to have lots of fun times on it this summer," Hughes said.

Hughes thanked the Marietta Fire Department and Dave Joy, a camper at the Lang site, for their help in securing the boat.

While firefighters worked to get the boat under control, area law enforcement officers were responding to multiple reports of downed trees.

"We've had a few trees down but nothing major," said Kevin Burns, a dispatcher with the Marietta Police Department. "It's been fairly minor compared to some of the wind storms we've had. The trees in the roads held up traffic for 20 to 30 minutes at most at any one place."

The wind storm also knocked out power to about 400 Washington Electric Cooperative customers. According to a release from the co-op, efforts were under way to restore power Wednesday afternoon, but a completion time had not been determined due to the ongoing windy conditions.

A wind advisory was in effect in the area until 10 p.m.

AEP Ohio also reported about 100 Washington County customers were without power Wednesday evening.

Today's forecast from the weather service calls for a high of 26 degrees and a low of 14 overnight. Beavers noted that winds of 20 mph can create a wind chill that makes conditions feel about 11 degrees cooler, meaning it could seem like 3 degrees tonight.

On Friday, the high is predicted to reach 30 degrees, with a low of 18.

Ashley Hill contributed.