Five Colorado counties in metro Denver and along the Front Range are bracing Wednesday for potential power outages that could extend several days as Xcel Energy prepares to cut power ahead of a storm packing wind gusts up to 90 mph.
“You might need to prepare for a multiday event,” Robert Kenney, president of Xcel, said during a news conference Wednesday morning.
Utility officials cut power around 10 a.m. Wednesday to 50,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties in a step “to protect public safety,” Kenney said.
As of 1:30 p.m., about 98,000 Xcel customers were without power, including those outside of the proposed power shut-off areas, according to the utility company’s outage map.
At about noon, the Colorado Department of Transportation closed several roads due to safety concerns, including Colorado 93 from Golden to Eldorado Springs, Colorado 128 from Indiana Street to Colorado 93 and U.S. 36/North Foothills Highway from north of Boulder to Lyons.
CDOT is also restricting high-profile vehicles from driving on Colorado 72.
Winds that began to pick up in the afternoon have caused downed power lines and traffic signal outages, Boulder County’s Office of Disaster Management said. Downed trees are also blocking some roads.
Meanwhile, the winds weren’t strong enough for Eldora Mountain Resort to close.
“Until it isn’t, the plan is still to operate as scheduled,” the resort west of Nederland said on its website. “It’s windy up here, but not so extreme that the lifts can’t run. The few folks that are here are stoked—bluebird skies, empty slopes, endless parking, and immaculate corduroy!”
In Nederland, public health officials warned that ash and debris from a fire that tore through the Caribou Village Shopping Center in October could become airborne and could lead to potential health risks.
Boulder County Public Health urged residents to keep windows closed during high winds, use HEPA air purifiers indoors and replace furnace filters if they appear dirty.
Those with respiratory conditions should consider leaving areas where they can be exposed to particulate matter from the fire. Officials suggested residents avoid disturbing ash or debris, remove their shoes before going into their homes and wear an N95 mask. Cloth masks and surgical masks do not protect against fine ash, they said in an advisory.
A second windstorm Friday could overlap with restoration efforts, after Wednesday’s winds subside, and result in some areas going without power for more than three days. Xcel said it is still evaluating the need for a second power shut-off Friday in mountain communities and the Front Range, starting as early as 6 a.m.
“Public safety power shut-off is a tool that we use when the most extreme weather conditions exist,” Kenney said. “So, in conjunction with all of our other wildfire mitigation efforts, we’re taking this step to protect public safety.”
Forecasters predict widespread wind gusts between 45 and 60 mph Wednesday across the Interstate 25 corridor and localized gusts up to 85 mph in areas west of the interstate. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for critical fire weather conditions. If a fire sparks, the severely dry and windy conditions will cause it to become extreme.
A surge of the strongest winds is expected between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
Nearly 400 utility workers will work to restore power as soon as the strong winds subside, about 6 p.m. Wednesday, but 678 miles of power line must be visually inspected before doing so, Kenney said.
“If there’s a line that’s damaged during the wind event and it’s laying on the ground, we can’t just remotely re-energize that line without inspecting it visually because then you’ve just created the very risk that you’re seeking to mitigate,” Kenney said. “So we have to physically inspect what we’re anticipating just from the (public safety power shut-off) — 678 miles of line, miles of line on top of any additional damage that’s done during the storm.”
Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission is drafting new rules to establish permanent requirements and standards for public safety power shut-offs and is asking for feedback from Xcel customers on their experiences this week.
“This information will help ensure that the PUC’s rules are comprehensive,” the commission said Wednesday. Feedback can be submitted through this survey.
Wednesday’s shut-off is Xcel’s second after the utility company conducted its first in April 2024. The PUC received “extensive public input,” with customers lamenting over lack of notice, inadequate communication during the event, poor mapping of impacted areas and insufficient planning to identify and protect critical infrastructure and facilities, the PUC said.
Since then, the PUC took several steps requiring Xcel to coordinate in advance with state and local emergency agencies, including holding practice shut-offs and working with local governments to develop lists of critical infrastructure, like hospitals and water treatment facilities. Utilities are also required to prioritize power restoration and to give at advance notice to customers, as early as 72 hours ahead of a potential outage.
The PUC also required Xcel to reach out to customers who have told the utility company they depend on electric-powered medical equipment and provide accurate and detailed mapping to help customers understand the scope of the outages.
Xcel is warning customers that strong winds could cause other outages outside of the area impacted by the public safety power shut-off.
American Red Cross and county emergency management offices will be setting up community centers where residents can charge their phones, get water and get warm, Kenney said.
Starting at 1 p.m., American Red Cross will open charging centers at Belmar Library in Lakewood and Evergreen Library.
Many schools have called a “wind day” and cancelled classes Wednesday, including Jeffco Public Schools, University of Colorado in Boulder, Poudre School District in Fort Collins and Clear Creek School District.
Some RTD bus lines will also be impacted due to the shut-offs.
Xcel began analyzing forecasts and meteorological data, with officials from emergency management, starting Sunday, Kenney said.
This is a developing news story that will be updated.
Type of Story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
