The work to begin restoring power after another Xcel Energy outage could be delayed until as late as 10 p.m. Friday, officials said. The latest forecasts show extreme fire weather conditions, including high winds and dry fuels, continuing until at least between 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, Xcel said in a news release Friday afternoon. The energy provider added that power will not be able to be immediately restored until the severe weather subsides and crews can physically inspect lines before they re-energize them. Over 80,000 Coloradans were without power as of 12:15 p.m. Friday, the second time in as many days that approximately the same amount of people were left in the dark, according to Xcel Energy’s Electric Outage Map. Power outages in six counties overlap with Wednesday shutoff Six counties were affected by intentional Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) Friday morning as Xcel Energy strove to mitigate the effects of critical wildfire conditions. About 64,000 people in those counties — Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld — woke up without power Friday because it was intentionally turned off, according to Xcel. Additional outages were likely caused by wind-related effects, such as downed wires or tree branches. About 50,000 people in five of the six counties, all except Gilpin, were targeted by the PSPS on Wednesday. The overlap in area with Friday’s PSPS is why crews worked to restore power while winds were relatively milder Thursday afternoon, said Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney at a Thursday news conference. “We don’t want any customer to be out longer than they have to (be),” Kenney said. “If there’s a customer that’s out on Wednesday that’s also going to be in scope for Friday, we don’t want them to be without power, so we’re going to work to restore them even if it means we’re going to de-energize that line again on Friday. Xcel crews work on power lines north of Golden on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette) All but 6,000 customers, some of whom had been powerless for nearly 36 hours, had their power restored as of 9 p.m. Thursday, according to Xcel’s Electric Outage Map. That number had ballooned back up to about 90,000 by Friday morning. At its height, the number of people without power from Wednesday’s outage reached about 160,000, Kenney said. Strong and dangerous winds continue to impact the foothills, particularly in Boulder County, with gusts still reaching up to 80 mph in some locations. As a result, several highways are currently closed due to unsafe conditions, particularly for high-profile vehicles. Motorists should expect sudden changes in travel conditions and consider delaying non-essential trips.  Severe winds, critical fire conditions in the foothills Friday The dry, windy and warm weather in the foothills led to the National Weather Service Boulder issuing a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” alert for Larimer, Boulder and Jefferson counties early Friday morning. The alert notes that sustained winds between 45 and 55 mph, with potential gusts upwards of 85 to 105 mph, as well as relative humidity levels dropping into the low teens or even single-digits. It spans from 5 a.m. Friday until midnight. “Conditions will be favorable for extremely rapid fire spread,” the NWS wrote on the alert. “Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.” Friday is expected to be the windiest and driest day of the week. On Wednesday, during the first PSPS, the NWS reported winds reaching as high as 96 mph. The winds are expected to die down Friday night, with Saturday morning gusts as high as 29 mph and a western breeze between 9 and 15 mph. When will Xcel turn the power back on? Wind conditions will be too unsafe for crews to begin the inspection and restoration process until they begin to subside around 6 p.m. Friday, Kenney said at Thursday’s news conference. Kenney also emphasized that the timeline for restoring power only begins at 6 p.m., and customers should not expect their electricity to come back on at that time. “I think there was an assumption from the general public that when there was a PSPS, it would come back on quicker than a normal outage,” Kenney said. “That is not accurate … (Wednesday’s) wind event subsided at six o’clock. We cannot flip a switch and turn the power back on at six o’clock.” Crews block an entrance onto southbound Highway 93 on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. High winds closed the highway and caused almost 100k houses through the front range to be without power through the day. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette) Kenney added that the reason for the inability is because crews need to physically inspect each power line to ensure it is safe to re-energize it before doing so. The president also noted that the organization has 678 line miles of electrical wire that need to pass that physical inspection. Some affected by Friday’s PSPS said Xcel told them they could be in the dark as long as until Sunday. Kenney did not give a prediction for restoration at his news conference Thursday but said the process could take “hours to days.” DIA flights delayed, roads closed, RTD services affected Denver International Airport issued a ground stop until 10 a.m. Friday due to the wind, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The stop delayed arrivals an average of 30 minutes. Over 830 flights had been delayed as of 12:15 p.m. and 31 had been canceled, according to flightaware.com. Additionally, the Colorado Department of Transportation said in a Friday morning news release that several major roadways would be closed Friday due to safety concerns: CO 93 both directions from 64th Ave (Arvada) to CO 170. CO 72 both directions from CO 7 to Ward Road. US 36 both directions from Boulder to Lyons. CO 128 both directions from CO 93 to McCaslin Boulevard. The Regional Transportation District announced that its W Line between Federal Center Station and the JeffCo Government Center Station would be impacted by Friday’s outage in a Thursday evening news release. Like during Wednesday’s shutoff, the agency will bus connections along the line while the power remains out, according to the release. All ticket machines and fare validators at the JeffCo station will also be non-operational while they are powerless. The service impacts are related to the RTD’s traction power substations, which supply electrical power to the rail system, it said in the release. Eldora ski resort closed for day Eldora ski resort, located near Nederland, one of the towns affected by the PSPS, announced Friday morning that it would be closed for the day due to the shutoff, according to its conditions page. The resort also posted an alert from Boulder County on its website: “On Friday, Dec. 19, we ask that people stay home and off the roads. Wind conditions will be dangerously high, especially in areas west of Broadway in Boulder and along the foothills. There will be significant debris in the roads, including downed limbs and power lines, and some traffic signals will be out.” Shelters, charging centers open for those without power The American Red Cross of Colorado has opened temporary shelters and a charging center for those without power. The charging center is located at Evergreen Fire/Rescue: 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen, according to the American Red Cross on social media. Additionally, two shelters remain open to those impacted by the outages: • Wellspring Catholic Academy: 1100 Upham St., Lakewood • Gilpin County School: 10595 State Route 119, Black Hawk ...read more read less