PG&E will begin restoring power to more than 270,000 customers in Northern California.

Crews will first inspect lines looking for potential weather-related damage. It is unclear how long the process will take.

Some background: PG&E says the shutdowns are to avoid sparking a wildlife. High winds, like those currently sweeping across Northern California, raise the risk for wildfire.

On Wednesday, the vice president of PG&E's Community Wildfire Safety Program said: "We took this step to ensure safety as a last resort, and we are committed to reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire events."

The wind is expected to subside Friday.