The National Weather Service has issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) alert associated with today's Red Flag Warning in Colorado. This is the most extreme categorization for risk the NWS has and is a rare occurrence. Due to extreme wind and critically dry conditions that are expected to match or exceed  Wednesday’s severe weather, a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) has been implemented for customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties today, Friday, Dec. 19. We expect this to be a very severe weather event with unplanned outages expected to significantly exceed the number of customers affected by a PSPS. Due to changing weather patterns, conditions are now expected to improve between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Friday evening. High winds, causing additional outages, will persist beyond 10 p.m. As soon as it is safe to do so, hundreds of crew members are prepared to begin inspecting power lines and restoring service. Turning off the power is not a decision we take lightly, and we will strive to restore power as soon as it is safe to do so. We stress that some customers may experience extended outages lasting several hours to several days as crews work to restore power. We understand how frustrating it is to experience extended outages and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to keep crews and customers safe. We are committed to seeing through this next round of extreme weather alongside first responders and community support organizations. Together we will do everything we can to protect our communities. Resource centers with access to phone charging and other home emergency supplies will be available for customers in some communities. Xcel Energy’s RED Trucks will be available at some resource centers to provide support and information to customers. More information is available at xcelenergy.com/wildfire.