Updated 8:20 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 21
Around 1.900 customers remain without power, the majority in Boulder and Jefferson counties. Most should have electricity restored tonight.
"We were running our gas generator to keep the fridge cold and luckily no food was lost," Lyons resident Regan Kireilis Helms, wrote in an email to KUNC.
Her power came back on Sunday afternoon following four days without it.
"It’s good to be out of the dark ages!" Helms wrote.
Xcel Energy says that some damaged infrastructure in remote areas around Boulder and Evergreen is inaccessible by foot; those repairs will need to be completed using helicopters.
Updated 5:50 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20
The lights are coming back on for many Front Range residents following days of extreme weather and two planned power shutoffs. Around 22,000 customers remain without power.
Xcel Energy expects to restore electricity for many by Sunday at noon, although some will be waiting until Monday.
Outages, both planned and due to weather, have impacted residents in Boulder, Jefferson, Weld, Clear Creek and Gilpin counties, closing roads, schools, and snarling air travel.
As efforts turn to debris clean-up, Boulder's Office of Disaster Management reminded residents that clean-up on private property is the owner's responsibility. But, if powerlines are involved, the first call should be to the utility company.
Updated 3:45 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19
Residents along the Northern Front Range saw and received some unusual alerts today that underline how extraordinary and intense this week's windstorms have been.
The National Weather Service issue a rare extreme fire weather warning earlier today because of high winds and dry conditions on the Front Range. The greatest concern, according to weather officials, was centered in and around the foothills in Boulder and Jefferson counties.
Boulder officials took the unusual step to close public access to all city open space and mountain parks on Friday. This is the second time there's been a closure of the land system. The previous instance was during the flooding that struck the area in 2013.
Paul Dennison, the city's Wildland Fire Senior Program Manager, says the risk of wildfire ignition was one part of the decision. The other was general public safety.
"During Wednesday's high wind event, we had a number of downed trees, and flying debris on our trails" and other public lands, Dennison said.
While gusts have hit speeds of more than 100 mph, the forecast suggests winds should start dying down tonight.
Updated 3:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19
Boulder County Sheriff's Office posted a striking video to social media Friday as a way of asking residents in the area to simply stay off the roads today if possible. The video, filmed north of Boulder near North Foothills Highway, shows huge clouds of dust swirling around a patrol car.
The Sheriff's Office wrote:
We ask that people stay home and off the roads. Wind conditions will be dangerously high, especially in areas west of Broadway in Boulder and along the foothills. There will be significant debris in the roads, including downed limbs and power lines, and some traffic signals will be out. If you must drive, please drive carefully today.
Updated 12:25 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19
Humidity remains low and temps are mild. High wind warnings and red flag warnings will remain in effect all day the Front Range. Those conditions "may result in a rapid spread of wildfires," the National Weather Service warned in an alert.
Boulder's National Center for Atmospheric Research, on Table Mesa Drive, clocked a gust topping 100 mph earlier today.
Updated 10:05 a.m., Friday, Dec. 19
Officials are encouraging Front Range motorists to stay home, if possible, due to high winds and unsafe driving conditions.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop for all flights departing from Denver International Airport, also due to weather.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has closed portions of Highway 93, the Peak to Peak Highway, the North Foothills Highway and Flagstaff Road.
Around 84,000 northern Colorado customers are now without power, according to Xcel's outage map.
Eldora Ski Resort is closed today due to power shutoffs.
Updated 6:00 a.m., Friday, Dec. 19
Front Range residents are waking up to more power outages this morning, as Xcel Energy carries out another planned shutoff.
The shutoff started at 5 this morning for some residents, and the utility expects about 69,000 will be impacted across several counties, including Larimer, Weld and Boulder.
Xcel is trying to prevent downed power lines from sparking wildfires. High winds and extremely dry conditions have now prompted two power shutoffs this week. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning.
Xcel says restoring power outages could take several hours to several days.
The power shutoff has prompted several school districts, municipalities and businesses to close or change their hours, and county officials are asking people to stay off the roads throughout the day due to potential debris from the storm.
Strong winds are expected to gust upwards of 85 to 105 mph in the foothills, and humidity will be low. It is not clear how long the planned shutdown will last.
Updated 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18
With extreme wind and dry conditions in the forecast for Friday, Xcel Energy announced a second planned shutdown to begin as early as 5 a.m.
The outage will impact around 69,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties.
Intense weather will likely sweep across the Front Range. Gusts could reach 100 mph in the foothills and humidity could drop down into the single digits, creating what the National Weather Service refers to as a 'Particularly Dangerous Situation.'
Updated 3:45 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18
Xcel Energy’s outage map shows tens of thousands of customers remain without power across the Front Range amid ongoing high winds and restoration efforts.
The lights have come back on for Kristine Johnson in southeast Boulder, but she worries about her 85-year-old mother.
"Her wellbeing, her staying warm enough," Johnson said. "Her going through her fridge and getting rid of anything that needs to be gotten rid of."
Johnson will go check on her mom later today and is charging up devices while her family does have power. More windy weather and more planned outages are expected early tomorrow.
Regan Kireilis Helms, who lives in an old cabin in Lyons with her husband, two kids, four dogs and two cats still has no power. In an email she told KUNC News that if it stays off through Saturday, they will run their generator.
"We can use our grill to heat water and cook meals and fill water receptacles nearby in Fern Cliff… Essentially camping out and hoping the power comes back sooner than later."
Updated 9:35 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 18
As Xcel Energy works to restore power following widespread outages, some Front Range schools, including Boulder Valley School District, remain closed.
In Summit County, more than two thousand customers are now without power from Silverthorne down to Fairplay in Park County.
Overnight, gusts reached 100 mph in some areas. Residents reported broken car windows, shattered by flying rocks. Today, motorists may encounter debris on roadways and non-working stoplights. Customers can check Xcel's outage map for status updates.
On Colorado's Eastern Plains, a wildfire estimated to be about 40,000 acres is burning in rural Yuma County this morning, where winds are gusting between 50 and 60 mph and are expected to grow even stronger.
Emergency officials in Yuma County, which sits on Colorado's Eastern border, reported as many as nine fires burning overnight. All but one of those have been contained.
The fires prompted evacuations, but residents were cleared to return to their homes early this morning.
The local utility, Y-W Electric Association, is reporting widespread power outages due to high winds and has activated advanced safety settings on powerlines due to fire danger.
With winds expected to gain speed again today, Yuma County officials say more evacuations orders could be issued.
This is an emerging story. Check back for updates.
Updated 6:15 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 18
Xcel Energy has begun restoring power to some customers on the Front Range who experienced outages during high winds and a planned shutoff Wednesday. But many remain without power, and another shut-off could happen on Friday.
Xcel’s outage map shows that about 95,000 remain without electricity this morning.
Around 50,000 customers had their power shutoff yesterday in Boulder, Larimer, Weld, Jefferson and Clear Creek counties. Tens of thousands more people across the Front Range reported outages due to weather.
Even as restoration begins, Xcel warns that more wind and dry conditions are expected again Friday, and a second preemptive shutdown could affect mountain communities as well as the Front Range, beginning as early as 5 on Friday morning.
The utility says that may mean some areas could be without power for more than three days.
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Original story (updated 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17)
High winds sweeping across the state are forcing road closures this afternoon. The Colorado Department of Transportation announced that US 287 north of Fort Collins is closed in both directions as are portions of CO 93 and CO 128. CDOT plans to close down US 36 between Boulder and Lyons as winds increase.
This morning, around 50,000 Xcel Energy customers across the Front Range lost power at 10 a.m. due to windy and dry conditions that elevate wildfire risk. Households, businesses, schools, municipal buildings and nursing homes are all impacted by this planned power outage.
The shutdown encompasses Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties. Customers can look up their address on Xcel’s outage map to find out if they will be affected.
Today, much of the Front Range is under a red flag warning or high wind warning with gusts in Boulder forecasted to reach 85 mph and temperatures to near 70 degrees. Tonight, the area could see some rain and snow.
The strategy-- shutting off electricity to avoid powerlines sparking a fire – was first implemented in Colorado in the spring of 2024, when winds exceeded 90 miles per hour. In the aftermath, residents demanded more communication from Xcel so people could better prepare their homes and business.
By shutting down power for tens of thousands of residents, the hope is to prevent another Marshall Fire, a destructive blaze which consumed over 1,000 Boulder County homes and businesses in December 2021. It was caused, in part, by a broken Xcel power line that sparked on a dry, windy day.
Although Xcel expects weather to improve this evening, the company noted in a press release that restoration of power could take hours or days.
“This is because crews must inspect power lines and repair damage before they can be safely re-energized,” Xcel wrote.
Later today, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., libraries in Evergreen and Lakewood will open ‘comfort centers’ offering phone charging, drinks and snacks at these locations:
Evergreen Library – 5000 County Hwy 73, Evergreen
Belmar Library – 555 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood
The Boulder Office of Disaster Management posted several locations in Superior, Nederland and Louisville for charging personal devices, medical equipment and electric vehicles.
In Larimer County, residents can access outlets at libraries in Fort Collins, Loveland and Berthoud.
Communities are sharing tips for how residents can stay safe. In an email, the Boulder Office of Disaster Management is asking residents to refrain from burning anything outdoors, to avoid downed power lines and to know how to open a garage door without power. Tip: pull down firmly on the red emergency release cord hanging from the opening and then lift the garage door manually.
Dry windy weather along with wildfire concerns are expected to return on Friday. Xcel is evaluating whether it may need additional planned outages then, which could come as early as 6 a.m., the company said in a press release.
