UPDATE: More than 22,600 Boulder County customers are currently without power as a fierce wind storm intensifies, forcing many to endure a third day of outages. As of 6:15 a.m. Friday, the utility’s outage map indicates that communities including Boulder, Longmont, Superior, Lafayette, and Nederland are grappling with power loss.
The National Weather Service has issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning, predicting sustained winds between 45 and 55 mph and gusts that could exceed 100 mph. This severe weather alert signals significant danger for residents as debris from high winds could pose threats to safety on the roads.
Initially, outages were expected to impact around 67,000 customers across multiple counties including Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld. As of early Friday morning, the storm has already left more than 90,000 customers without power statewide, highlighting the widespread impact of this weather event.
Recovery efforts are still underway from Wednesday’s wind storm, which brought gusts of up to 100 mph, according to data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Mesa Lab in Boulder. In response, the Boulder Valley School District has canceled classes, and the University of Colorado Boulder has closed its campus today due to safety concerns linked to the high winds.
City officials have urged community members to stay home, citing potential hazards from falling debris and compromised traffic signals due to ongoing outages. The Boulder Office of Disaster Management strongly advises against unnecessary travel.
At the height of Wednesday’s storm, Xcel Energy’s Colorado President Robert Kenney reported that as many as 200,000 customers statewide experienced power outages. During a press conference, Kenney denied any connection between Xcel’s recent proactive power outages and the devastating Marshall Fire of December 2021, which destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County. In September, Xcel settled a lawsuit related to the fire, agreeing to pay $640 million to affected residents and businesses.
So far this winter, Boulder County has experienced unseasonably warm and dry conditions, a stark contrast to the current storm. With temperatures previously reaching the mid-60s, residents are now dealing with extreme weather changes.
As the storm continues to develop, residents are encouraged to stay informed and take precautions to ensure their safety. For now, the focus remains on restoring power and addressing the immediate needs of those affected by this severe weather event.
Stay tuned for further updates as this situation evolves.
