Xcel Energy will implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff for some customers in parts of western Colorado and the San Luis Valley on Wednesday because of extreme wildfire risk driven by strong winds, low humidity, hot weather and very dry conditions, the company said.

The shutoff will start around noon Wednesday in portions of Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla and Rio Grande counties, Xcel said in a Tuesday afternoon news release. Conditions are expected to improve around 7 p.m. Wednesday, with restoration beginning as soon as lines can be safely inspected.

About 7,100 customers are expected to be impacted by the shutoff, Xcel said.

Much of the region is in extreme to exceptional drought following a record warm and dry winter, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the San Luis Valley for Wednesday.

This would mark the first time Xcel has planned a Public Safety Power Shutoff in Western Slope counties. Previous events have been limited to the Front Range and northern Colorado areas.

The company is also monitoring high wildfire risk along the northern Front Range on Thursday, though no Public Safety Power Shutoff is currently planned there, they said earlier Tuesday. High winds could still trigger unplanned outages in that region.

Xcel is also activating Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings across Colorado during the next 48 hours, the company said. Those settings make power lines more sensitive to short circuits, causing quick de-energization if an issue is detected, like a tree branch or other object touching the line. Outages under those settings still require visual inspection before power returns, which can extend durations.

After the weather passes, restoration could take several hours to a few days. Crews must patrol every line for damage before re-energizing, with rural, remote and mountainous areas likely facing longer outages. High winds could also trigger unplanned outages outside the planned shutoff zones, the company said.

Customers who rely on electricity for medical equipment should prepare backup power supplies now. The company said it would continue outreach to potentially affected customers, including those in its Safe for Colorado program.

Xcel encouraged all customers to update contact information in My Account for outage notifications and to build an emergency kit with battery-powered items, non-perishable food, water and manual tools.

Customers can monitor outages through the Xcel Energy app, website outage map or by texting OUT to 98936. The utility also maintains updates on its website and social media channels.

The company uses weather forecasts and risk models to decide on shutoffs and adjusts plans as conditions evolve. Officials expect to potentially reduce the scope if forecasts improve, Xcel said.

Other utilities serving the Western Slope and San Luis Valley, including Holy Cross Energy, San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and Grand Valley Power, face the same weather-driven risks but had not announced shutoffs as of Monday.