Tens of thousands of Coloradans on Wednesday were without power west of Denver after winds of up to 96 mph whipped across the state causing outages and led to Xcel Energy preemptively shutting off service in some areas.
The shutoffs began around 10 a.m. as winds picked up, Xcel officials said at a news conference Wednesday morning. While the winds were expected to die down around 6 p.m., some outages could last several additional hours or potentially days as crews work to inspect and assure power lines are intact.
Residents in Golden reported being without power just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. As of 11:45 a.m., nearly 100,000 Coloradans were reported as not having power from Xcel, according to its interactive Electric Outage Map.
As of 2:30 p.m., the reported number of outages was down to about 67,000.
Some residents who lost power Wednesday could be without it for more than three days, as Xcel may shut off power again Friday amid another forecasted windstorm, the energy provider said.
Here’s what we know about the situation:
What counties will the shutoff affect?
Xcel put five counties west of Denver on alert for a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), an intentional power switch off that mitigates the potential for wildfires during a severe weather event.
The five counties impacted by the shutoff are as follows:
• Boulder County
• Larimer County
• Jefferson County
• Weld County
• Clear Creek County
The counties encapsulate a population of 49,000 people, Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said at Wednesday’s news conference.
In addition to the PSPS, all power lines in the Denver area will be placed on Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS), an enhanced sensitivity setting wherein the flow of electricity is automatically stopped if any object, such as a downed tree branch, comes into contact with the lines.
That setting is used during high wind events when there is a greater potential for downed lines, Kenney said. Because of this precaution, areas outside the PSPS counties could also see outages if a fault occurs on a nearby power line.
Why is the power being shutoff?
The PSPS precaution is utilized at times when high winds blow through areas where there is an abundance of dry fuel, Kenney said.
Western winds between 30-50 mph were anticipated to blow through the area throughout Wednesday afternoon, with gusts up to 90 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
In its original announcement about the possible PSPS Tuesday, Xcel included counties around Denver as part of the affected area. Officials lessened the affected area to just the foothills in an updated announcement Tuesday evening.
“When the wind events first started materializing on Saturday and Sunday and as we watched the wind evolve, coupled with the relative humidity in the fuels, were able to make the scope smaller,” Kenney said. “There were counties that were originally in scope that we were able to see, by the virtue of the weather conditions, that we were able to take out of scope.”
Kenney added that a high wildfire index with low relative humidity and high wind speeds are the criteria Xcel looks for when determining whether to implement a PSPS.
How long will the power be out for?
While the severe winds were expected to subside by 6 p.m., Wednesday, Kenney noted that it may take several hours or even days to restore power to affected areas.
“If there’s a line that’s damaged during the wind event and it’s laying on the ground, we can’t just remotely energize that line without inspecting it visually,” Kenney said. “We have to physically inspect what we’re anticipating just from the PSPS, 678 line miles, on top of any additional damage that’s done during the storm.”
Kenney added that the nearly 400 Xcel personnel were on standby and ready for deployment can’t begin the inspection and restoration process until after 6 p.m., when the high winds have subsided, for safety reasons.
“We would expect that it’s going to take some time after 6 o’clock to inspect the lines, determine the nature of the damage, then do those repairs,” Kenney said.
The energy provider’s president also noted that another severe wind event on Friday could inhibit Xcel crews’ ability to do additional inspections and restoration, which is why officials have been telling customers that they could expect outages to last a few days.
More outages expected Friday
Xcel said that more severe weather at the end of the week could cause additional outages Friday in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon.
Friday’s wind gusts are currently slated to reach as high as 60 mph, with most winds between 20 and 30 mph throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service Boulder.
The winds will bring along another significant temperature shift — Friday will reach a high near 63 degrees; temperatures will drop again to 30 degrees Saturday.
Friday’s additional outages could come from another PSPS event beginning as early as 5 a.m., Xcel said in the post.
“Friday’s storm may overlap with some communities impacted by today’s severe weather, which could mean that certain areas could be without power for more than three days,” Xcel said.
How should you prepare for an outage?
Xcel has a list of tips for its customers to prepare for and report an outage in their area on its website.
Anyone who is experiencing an outage can report it by texting OUT to 98936 or calling 800-895-1999.
Additionally, those experiencing an outage should take the following precautions:
• Turn on a single light to be alerted when power is restored.
• Keep food safe by keeping refrigerator and freezer doors shut as much as possible to maintain cold temperatures.
• Ensure mobile devices remain charged and think of ways outside a residence to do so.
• For an outage of at least eight hours, pack food in the refrigerator into a cooler surrounded by ice so it doesn’t spoil.
• For an outage of at least 12 hours, check on elderly and/or vulnerable neighbors.
The provider also has a list of useful items to have during an outage, including:
• A battery-powered radio or TV
• Flashlights with extra batteries
• A portable charger
• A non-electric phone and alarm clock
• Bottled water and non-perishable food
• A non-electric can opener
• A first-aid kit
• Extension cords for partial outages
Charging centers set up around Lakewood and Fort Collins
As part of the relief effort to help those impacted by the shutoffs, the Colorado Office of Emergency Management set up charging stations for phones and devices in community centers around Fort Collins. The American Red Cross established two more west of Denver
The open stations are as follows, according to an interactive map:
• Evergreen Library: 5000 County Hwy 73, Evergreen, CO 80439; 303-235-5275
• Belmar Library: 555 S Allison Pkwy, Lakewood, CO 80226; 303-235-5275
• Grace Place: 375 Meadowlark Dr, Berthoud, CO 80513; 970-532-9886
• Loveland Public Library: 300 N Adams Ave, Loveland, CO 80537; 970-962-2665
• Council Tree Library: 2733 Council Tree Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525; 970-221-6740
• Old Town Library: 201 Peterson St, Fort Collins, CO 80524; 970-221-6740
School and government closures for power shutoffs
Several schools and local governments in the foothills closed on Wednesday in light of the anticipated power shutoffs.
All Jefferson County offices, including those in Golden, Lakewood, Morrison, Evergreen and Wheat Ridge, are closed Wednesday, the county said on social media Tuesday night.
Jefferson County Public Schools announced Tuesday night that all schools will also be closed Wednesday due to the shutoffs.
The University of Colorado Boulder is closed Wednesday, but Boulder Valley School District schools remain open. Some city offices in Boulder are also closed due to the shutoff.
The Regional Transportation District announced on social media Wednesday morning that shuttle buses would replace the W Line between Federal Center Station and the Jefferson County Government Center Station starting at 9 a.m. due to the shutoff.
Several major roads also closed west of Denver, airport traffic normal
As the region faces high winds, several major roadways are also closed west of Denver.
Between Golden and Boulder, Hwy 93 is closed in both directions due to safety concerns related to the wind, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday afternoon.
Between Broomfield and Eldorado Springs, Hwy 128 / 120th Avenue is also closed in both directions for safety concerns, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s COTrip map.
U.S. 36 north of Boulder to Lyons, just east of Lookout Mountain, is also closed as of 2 p.m. Wednesday due to safety concerns, according to the COTrip map.
In addition to the closures, a high wind warning is in effect for roadways going into the mountains, including Interstate 70, U.S. 6, U.S. 40, Hwy 119 and Hwy 72, according to the COTrip Map.
Interstate 70 east of Denver is also under a high wind warning until the Colorado-Kansas border.
Despite the increasing winds, air traffic at Denver International Airport remained fairly steady as of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, with around 131 flights delayed and six canceled, according to flightaware.com.
Denver Christkindlmarkt, Red Rocks closed Wednesday
Denver’s Christkindlmarkt, the Mile High Drone Show and the Mile High Tree were canceled Wednesday night due to the high winds, Visit Denver said on its website.
The Red Rocks Visitor Center and trading post were also closed and Wednesday night’s Christmas in Color was canceled due to the power shutoff, the park said on Instagram Wednesday. The park and amphitheatre remained open to the public despite the shutoff.
This is a developing story and will be updated
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