ESCANABA — Widespread power outages affected thousands of residents across the Upper Peninsula on Monday as high winds felled trees throughout the region.

In the Upper Peninsula, Schoolcraft, Keweenaw, Houghton, Marquette, Chippewa, Delta and Menominee counties were among those without electricity for portions of the day, though crews worked to get most back online by late afternoon and evening.

In the mid-afternoon, Michigan had the second-most power outages in the United States; only California experienced more. More than 10,000 customers of Upper Peninsula Power Company were without electricity — about 17% of their customers. UPPCO customers in the Keweenaw were without electricity for nearly an hour and a half Monday afternoon.

Gale warnings had been in effect for Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. Wind gusts were predicted to exceed 40 mph along the Lake Michigan coast. About 1 p.m. Monday, the National Weather Service recorded winds of 28 mph and gusts of 35 mph at Delta County Airport in Escanaba. The National Weather Service forecasts call for winds gusting to 35 mph in the Copper Country for the next two days.

Areas downstate, both along the lakeshore as well as inland, were affected by power outages as well.