Xcel Energy is preparing for severe weather in Colorado, with strong winds expected to begin on Tuesday, February 17. The company has cited historically low snowpack, warm and dry conditions, and very dry vegetation as factors that could increase the risk of large and fast-spreading wildfires.
The anticipated high winds may damage power lines and cause outages. These weather conditions are forecasted to peak on Tuesday and continue through Thursday.
To reduce wildfire risk, Xcel Energy will activate Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) across eastern Colorado over the next 48 to 72 hours. When EPSS is activated, power lines become more sensitive and can automatically stop the flow of electricity if an issue such as a tree branch or object touches the line. According to Xcel Energy, “These settings do not mean the company has proactively turned off a customer’s power. If there is an outage while these settings are activated, it is the result of an issue on the power line.”
If an outage occurs during this period, crews must visually inspect power lines before restoring service, which could extend outage durations. More information about Xcel Energy’s restoration process can be found at their website.
Another measure available to the company is a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), which involves shutting off power in targeted areas when wildfire risks are extremely high and other methods like EPSS are insufficient. Currently, Xcel Energy does not expect conditions to meet PSPS criteria but warns that outages from strong winds remain possible. The company will continue monitoring weather forecasts and update its response as needed.
Weather forecasts and data help guide Xcel Energy’s decisions to protect public safety. High winds, low humidity, and dry ground fuel conditions play key roles in their risk models. The National Weather Service has also issued a Fire Weather Watch for parts of Colorado through Tuesday.
Xcel Energy advises customers to prepare for potential wildfires and outages by updating contact information in MyAccount and building home emergency kits with essential items such as battery-powered radios, flashlights, bottled water, non-perishable food, backup chargers, first aid supplies, extension cords, manual door openers, and important phone numbers.
Customers who rely on medical equipment powered by electricity should consider enrolling in the Safe for Colorado program for additional support during outages. “As an important reminder to customers who have medical equipment that relies on electric service,” states Xcel Energy, “please take steps to prepare a backup power supply in case outages do occur.” The company will contact qualifying medical customers directly regarding forecasted severe weather.
Outages can be reported via several channels: through the Xcel Energy mobile app available on Apple App Store or Google Play; online at xcelenergy.com/out; by texting OUT or STAT to 98936; or by calling 1-800-895-1999.
Xcel Energy continues investing in its electric systems to reduce wildfire risk and limit disruptions’ size and duration. Additional preparedness tips are available on their website.
The utility serves millions of customers across eight states—Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas—and remains committed to delivering reliable energy while leading efforts toward cleaner power sources.
