When hurricane-force gusts tore through the Colorado Front Range late Wednesday, Xcel Energy preemptively shut off power to almost 700 miles of lines, sparing the grid from potential fire ignition.
Power Outages Across the Front Range
Wind that topped 100 mph (160 kph) in places prompted Xcel to cut power in its eastern Colorado service areas. The company aimed to keep downed lines from sparking fires, a goal that proved necessary as lines were indeed blown down in several spots. By Thursday afternoon, about 60 % of the 700 miles (1,100 km) of de-energized lines were back online, but 37,000 Xcel customers on the Front Range and into the Rocky Mountains remained without power. A second round of outages was expected on Friday as forecasts called for even stronger winds over a longer period. Xcel’s president, Robert Kenney, warned in a news conference, “The power will not come back on the moment the wind event ends because we have to inspect the lines.”
Wildfires Fueled by the Storm
The same winds fanned wildfires of still-undetermined cause in eastern Colorado. Local emergency management officials said the fires burned at least 14,000 acres (5,700 hectares) in Yuma County. A grass fire on the south side of Cheyenne, Wyoming, prompted a neighborhood’s evacuation for several hours on Wednesday evening, though no structures were damaged. In central Denver, power was out overnight, furniture was blown off apartment balconies, at least one apartment window was blown out, and the ground was littered with downed branches.
Highway Closures and Driver Warnings
Strong gusts on Thursday led to the closure of Interstates 25 and 80 in southeastern Wyoming to lightweight, high-profile vehicles. Unladen tractor-trailers that ignore such warnings are often seen blown over on the windy state’s highways, prompting jokes that the trucks are just taking a rest. The Wyoming Highway Patrol posted on Facebook, “If your commercial hauler is in need of a good night’s sleep we would highly recommend the windblown plains of I-80, I-25, or I-90,” the Wyoming Highway Patrol joked on Facebook, adding: “For the low, low cost of a Driving on Closed Roads Citation ($1,000+).”
Regional Weather Updates
High winds and red-flag fire warnings were in effect across much of Kansas on Thursday. Blowing dust reduced visibility so much that a stretch of Interstate 70 near the state’s western line with Colorado was closed, the Kansas Department of Transportation said in a news release, urging motorists to consider delaying non-essential travel. In the Pacific Northwest, heavy rain continued along with snow in the mountains. Rivers in Washington had fallen since recent flooding had inundated communities, damaged roads and prompted more than 600 rescues. Parts of southern Oregon and northern California, including the San Francisco Bay area, were expected to see several inches of rain and strong winds Friday and into the weekend. Then on Christmas Eve, a Pineapple Express, a stronger atmospheric river that originates in the tropics near Hawaii, could arrive in northern California, bringing hope to ski resort operators that much anticipated precipitation will extend into the Sierra Nevada, where very little snow has fallen this season. Elsewhere, a blizzard was bringing as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow to northern North Dakota and Minnesota before heading into Wisconsin and other areas eastward over the next couple days.
Key Takeaways
- Hurricane-force winds downed power lines and prompted Xcel Energy to preemptively shut off power to 700 miles of lines.
- Wildfires burned at least 14,000 acres in Yuma County, Colorado, and a grass fire in Cheyenne, Wyoming, forced a temporary evacuation.
- Interstates 25 and 80 in Wyoming were closed to lightweight vehicles, and high winds caused closures and driver warnings across Kansas, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest.
The storm’s impact stretched from the Front Range to the Great Plains, leaving thousands without power, igniting thousands of acres of fires, and prompting widespread road closures and weather warnings across the region.
