Power outage in Colorado began at 10 a.m. Wednesday for thousands of Xcel Energy customers

A power outage along Colorado's Front Range began at 10 a.m. Wednesday and was expected to impact about 50,000 Xcel Energy customers. The outage was planned for parts of Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties due to powerful winds and dangerous fire conditions.

According to Xcel, crews are set to begin restoration efforts as quickly as possible, which is estimated to be around 6 p.m. Xcel said power can only be restored after crews inspect the lines to ensure it's safe to re-energize. 

Xcel had been warning of the potential for power outages since last week due to the forecast. 

A First Alert Weather Day has been issued for Wednesday, for powerful winds and dangerous fire conditions. A strong jet stream, pressure gradient, and cold front will dramatically change our mid-week weather pattern.

The triple threat of low relative humidity, gusty winds and unseasonably warm temperatures will create dangerous wildfire conditions from the foothills out across the Eastern Plains.

Xcel urged customers to keep phones and other electronic devices charged. They also urge customers to view updates on outages at the outage map. 

The Mile High Drone Show scheduled for Wednesday evening has been canceled due to the weather conditions. The drone show is expected to continue as scheduled the rest of the week. 

The American Red Cross of Colorado will open two charging centers in Jefferson County due to the power outage. Charging centers will be open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the following locations:

• Belmar Library - 555 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80226
• Evergreen Library - 5000 County Highway 73, Evergreen, CO 80439

The centers will be open to all, there will be no proof of residency required to be admitted to the Red Cross shelter. 

The Colorado Division of Emergency Management opened Emergency Operations Centers and charging centers on Wednesday. The following counties have activated EOCs for the following counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas and Larimer. 

The charging centers have been opened at the following locations:

• Poudre River Library District Old Town Library, 201 Peterson Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (Open until 6 PM) 
• Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Avenue, #200, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (Open until 8 PM) 
• Loveland Library 330 N Adams Avenue, Loveland, CO 80537 (Open until 6 PM) 
• Grace Place 375 Meadowlark Drive, Berthoud, CO, 80513 (Coffee shop open until 2 PM, Office open until 4 PM) 
• Belmar Library, 555 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80226 
• Evergreen Library, 5000 County Highway 73, Evergreen, CO 80439

The Division of Emergency Management also published a map it says will be updated in real time, showing where open charging centers and shelters or resource centers will be located:

The Boulder Office of Disaster Management's Emergency Operations Center has also opened in response to the high winds and power outages.