DENVER (KDVR) — A combination of near-record high temperatures, a dry spell and expected high winds on Wednesday are bringing possible severe fire weather to the Front Range, putting Xcel Energy on alert for response plans.
The National Weather Service is expecting high winds to hit the base of the foothills and the plains on Wednesday as unseasonably high temperatures have been drying up the area for more than a week. Xcel Energy on Monday said it is preparing for this event and says possible power shutoffs and extra sensitive powerline settings could cause outages across the area.
Denver weather: Sunny, warm week ahead
Xcel has not decided if it will use power shutoffs yet, but it says it expects to activate the Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings.
Here’s how they both work and how Xcel decides when to use them:
Public Safety Power Shutoffs being considered
Public Safety Power Shutoffs turn off power to targeted areas for a limited time when wildfire risks are extremely high and other methods “are not enough for public safety.”…