After weeks of unseasonably dry weather and record-breaking warmth, the Front Range is critically dry, heightening wildfire concerns with strong winds expected Wednesday.
On Monday, Denver tied a century-old heat record, reaching 68 degrees for the warmest Dec. 15 on record since 1921. This also marked the city’s seventh consecutive day with temperatures hitting at least 60 degrees.
“Since it has been so warm and dry, there's not that greenup or anything,” Russel Danielson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder, told CPR News. “All the fuels are just so dry.”
Those dry fuels, paired with wind gusts forecast up to 75 mph along the foothills on Wednesday, have prompted Front Range counties to expand fire bans and other precautionary measures in anticipation of dangerous fire conditions — including Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility provider.
“[This] is creating an extreme wildfire risk environment where [it’s] likely for us to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff that would go into effect on Dec. 17 at noon,” said Andrew Holder, Xcel’s Director of Community Relations. “But we're going to continue to monitor this, and as this evolves, we will continue to keep our customers and our communities updated.”
A Public Safety Power Shutoff is when Xcel turns off power to targeted areas based on their risk. And according to Holder, this is something the utility “doesn’t take lightly.”
“The first time we implemented this was in April of 2024, and we learned a lot of great lessons,” said Holder.
More than 55,000 customers were without power for days across the Front Range. That was the first time any utility has preemptively de-energized power lines due to wildfire conditions in Colorado, and this week could be the second.
According to Holder, the lessons learned from that instance can be summarized in one word: communication.
“[Our customers] wanted notification as soon as we were tracking something. They wanted us to let our communities and our customers know,” Holder said. “As soon as we started seeing this weather evolve over the course of the last 24 hours, we were committed to that feedback.”
Xcel released two statements Monday stating it is “likely” that the company will cut off power on Wednesday, but questions remain. It is still unclear which communities will be affected and how long they may be without power.
“It's hard to forecast,” Holder said. “As of right now, Dec. 17 at noon, we're looking at several hours of this wind event occurring. We would not start restoration processes until this wind event ceases.
Holder says the length of any power outage will depend not only on how long the Front Range remains under a red flag or critical fire warning, but also on whether wind damage occurs to power lines. If lines are damaged, restoration could take significantly longer.
“Our crews will start responding as soon as it is safe to do so,” he said. “That could potentially be a couple hours, or it could be a day or two.”
According to the National Weather Service, communities stretching along the I-25 corridor from the Wyoming border down to Colorado Springs are expected to face critical fire weather warnings on Wednesday.
“All the snow has melted across the plains and everything, so things are susceptible to burn,” said Danielson.
But forecasters say a cold front is expected to move through Thursday, bringing a chance of snow to higher elevations and helping to ease fire risk.
“The Front Range mountains, particularly the Western Slope, could see a few inches — generally two to five inches for most locations,” Danielson said. “Then another small wave is expected in the mountains on Saturday. It’s not a major storm, but any snow at this point helps.”
The arrival of the front will bring cooler temperatures and higher humidity, temporarily lowering fire danger across the region. Still, officials stress that residents should remain alert through Wednesday as wind gusts and dry conditions continue to pose significant wildfire risks.
How to prepare for a power outage
To prepare for a power outage make sure to gather portable chargers and ensure they — along with any of your electronic devices — are fully powered up ahead of time. Charge any medical devices you might need in advance, and make sure you’ve got backup light sources and first aid kits ready to go.
Xcel also recommends setting your fridge and freezer to the coldest setting in advance. That will help keep food cold for up to 4 hours in the fridge and two days in the freezer if the power cuts out. And if the power does go out, make sure to turn off or unplug appliances that could surge when power returns.
Here’s one you might not think of: Practice opening your garage without the electronic motor so you can leave your house if needed.
