Hurricane-force winds in Colorado on Wednesday had a major impact across the Denver metro area, Front Range, and foothills. It’s a First Alert Weather Day because of the dangerous conditions.

Gusts of over 100 mph — equivalent to a category 2 hurricane — were reported in some parts of the Front Range, and over 100,000 people were without power as of 7 p.m. On Berthoud Pass, between Empire and Winter Park, wind gusts reached at least 102 mph. They reached 97 mph at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Boulder County, 96 mph in Marshall, and 93 mph in West Arvada. 

Several highways were closed, Denver International Airport saw dozens of delays, power lines and other property damage were reported, schools were closed, Denver’s holiday events were canceled, and thousands of homes and businesses were without power after Xcel’s Public Safety Power Shutoff and unplanned outages.

Power shutoff

Xcel Energy was implementing what it calls a Public Safety Shutoff, for only the second time ever in Colorado. An estimated 50,000 people across the Front Range were impacted, mostly in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.

Restoration for some areas was expected to start around 6 p.m. Wednesday, but many customers told CBS News Colorado that Xcel told them it could be up to three days before their power is restored.

As a result, the Colorado Division of Emergency Management opened charging centers, shelters, and resource centers in the impacted areas.

Xcel said it shut off the power in these areas because of the combination of wind speeds and dry conditions that increase the chance of wildfires.

Once conditions improve, Xcel Energy Colorado President Robert Kenney said crews will begin inspecting lines to determine when power can be restored.

“Once the wind event stops, that does not mean your power will be immediately restored,” he said. “We have several hundred crew members that are already being pre-positioned, that are on standby, so that when the wind event does end, they will be able to immediately begin inspecting the lines. They have to visually inspect the lines for damage before restoring the power.”

Delayed flights

The Federal Aviation Administration called for a ground delay at Denver International Airport from 5 through 8 p.m., although that’s subject to change, based on evolving weather conditions.

As of about 6:30 p.m., 66 flights were delayed, and one was canceled.

Wind gusts were recorded at around 40 mph at the airport around 5 p.m.

School closures

Several school districts — including Jefferson County, Colorado’s second-largest — closed schools, and many also canceled after-school activities.

The University of Colorado cancelled classes, but the Buffs’ basketball game against Portland State is continuing, although fans are not allowed to attend.

Highway closures

Several highways in the foothills near Boulder, as well as in Northern Colorado up to the Wyoming state line, were closed. At least one crash also closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 on the Eastern Plains.

Those planned closures included:

• Highway 93 between Boulder and Arvada
• Highway 36 between Boulder and Lyons
• Highway 128 from Superior to Highway 93 
• Highway 287 between Ted’s Place and the Wyoming border closed this afternoon, but has since reopened

Damage and other closures

Power lines were reported as having fallen across the Denver metro area, adding to the number of customers without power.

A number of local businesses were also forced to close — some out of caution, others due to a lack of power.

Car and structure windows were also broken by flying debris, like this car in Boulder, whose windows were shattered by small, flying rocks.

Despite losing power around 10 a.m., Ace Hardware in Golden remained open and kept busy, selling generators, flashlights, batteries, and tools and materials to prevent or fix damage.

Some business owners raised concerns about what a days-long outage could mean for their companies, products, and customers.

“We could lose everything,” DeAnn Wieber, owner of the Windy Saddle Cafe in Golden, said. “We could lose all our food, the time that it took to prepare everything, and we just don’t know. And there’s are a lot of businesses going through the same thing.”

Downtown’s Mile High Drone Show, the Denver Christkindlmarket and access to the Mile High Tree have been canceled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, due to high winds, said producers at Visit Denver.

DENVER (KDVR) — A Pinpoint Weather Alert Day has been issued for Wednesday as fire danger increases in Denver due to strong wind gusts and dry conditions, with even stronger wind gusts to the west into the foothills.

Denver weather tonight: Mainly clear

Denver weather tomorrow: Warm & windy

Wednesday will be warm and windy.

As high temperatures climb to the mid-60s, wind gusts will pick up to over 40 mph.

A Red Flag Warning has been issued across the urban corridor as strong wind gusts are paired with dry conditions on the ground and low humidity, leading to high fire danger for the potential of rapid fire spread.

The strongest wind gusts will be west of the metro. High wind warnings are set to go into effect Wednesday morning and continue into early Thursday. During this time, gusts could reach 65-85 mph, especially for areas above 6,000 feet.

Above 9000 feet, there is a chance for light snowfall. Even though most places will only see 4″ of snowfall or less, blowing snow from strong wind gusts will lead to limited visibility and difficult driving conditions.

Looking ahead: Staying warmer through the weekend

Temperatures will drop on Thursday to around 50 degrees, which is still more than five degrees above normal for this time of year.

Friday, sunny, breezy and warm weather returns. High temperatures will climb to record range, which in Denver is a high of 67 degrees, last hit in 2023.

More dry and warmer than normal conditions will continue into the weekend, with a high in the mid-60s Saturday, then just shy of 60 degrees by kickoff of the Broncos game. Then the workweek starts with sunshine and high temperatures reaching record levels.