25K still without power Thursday, with shutoffs expected for 67K more tomorrow amid continued high winds 

Updated at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.

About 25,000 Colorado households remained without power Thursday afternoon after high winds damaged power lines on Wednesday. 

Another high wind event is expected Friday, with wind in excess of 90 miles an hour, and Xcel Energy plans another public safety power shutdown to prevent wildfires. 

Tomorrow’s shutdown is expected to impact 67,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties beginning as early as 5 a.m.

While the wind has died down along the Front Range, red flag warnings remain in effect across much of the state Thursday and Friday, due to dangerous fire conditions. 

During a press conference in Golden this afternoon, Xcel Colorado president Robert Kenney said 585 crew members are working to assess 678 miles of power lines in order to fully restore power from Wednesday’s event. 

“If it’s broken poles and crossarms and downed lines we’ll be able to do that relatively quickly,” he said. “If it’s more extensive than that, one of the things we’ve said is that could make the restoration process more challenging and it could take longer.” Kenney said they are working to restore power as soon as possible. 

Some customers may be without power for three days or more. 

Their outage map lists more than 345 outage sites in the state. The outage map has been slow to update and may be inaccurate. Kenney said to keep reloading it, and that Xcel was working to keep it up to date.  

Denver International Airport listed 185 delays so far today.  

Some schools remained closed Thursday, including in Jefferson and Boulder counties. Districts in Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties also canceled classes for the day. 

Fire in Yuma County 

In Yuma County, a fire that was started by high winds Wednesday night burned approximately 12,000 acres. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday it was 90 percent contained.

The 33 Fire burned between the towns of Yuma and Wray in a rural area. Four structures were destroyed — all are either sheds or abandoned homes. No livestock or people have been reported injured.

Jake Rockwell, emergency manager for Yuma County Office of Emergency Management, said it was one of three fires that started around 5 p.m. after high winds downed power lines. The two smaller fires are also contained.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Resource centers

Xcel Energy has set up resource centers with the Red Cross with access to phone charging, power, water and snacks. They are located at Evergreen Library on County Highway 73 in Evergreen, Belmar Library on Allison Parkway in Lakewood, Servicios de la Raza on 14th in Denver, and Gilpin County School on Highway 119 in Black Hawk. Their hours vary. 

The Boulder Office of Disaster Management has also set up seven resource centers at community centers and libraries, with charging stations for phones, EV cars and Wifi. 

Friday weather 

According to the National Weather Service, the wind Friday is expected to be most extreme in the foothills, with gusts up to 100 miles per hour. The high wind watch goes into effect at 9 p.m. tonight through Friday afternoon.

“It’s not going to be nearly as widespread of a wind event tomorrow,” said NWS Denver meteorologist Zach Hiris. “But we’re still looking at, especially in the Front Range, mountains and foothills, some gusts up into the 80 to 90 mile per hour range.” He said the wind is expected to worsen later in the day Friday.

Recouping losses 

For homeowners and renters, the costs of a power shutoff may add up: spoiled food, frozen pipes and in worse case situations, downed trees and debris damaging homes. 

“We do have a claim process and people can refer to that, but right now I’m really focused on keeping people safe,” said Kenney, referring to Xcel’s claim process for losses.

Carole Walker, with the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (RMIIA), said policy holders should evaluate their policies before filing claims, or talk to their insurance broker. That’s because short-term expenses, like recouping costs for rotten food, may not meet their deductibles.

“So before you file a claim, do think about, does it make sense?” she said “Would I be filing a $500 claim when I have a thousand-dollar deductible?”

It’s a different story for more intense damage, like a tree falling on a home, which would cause significant damage and likely meet deductibles.

Either way, filing multiple claims can negatively impact your insurance.

“Multiple claims over a short period of time can put your insurance at risk, or raise your premium,” she said.

The Public Service Commission, the state agency that regulates power companies, is accepting public comments on Xcel’s current public safety shutoff, as it works to develop new rules and standards for the future. 

Editor’s note: Ishan Thakore contributed reporting.