Loveland Under High Wind and Red Flag Warnings Through Friday

The City of Loveland is under High Wind and Red Flag Warnings through late Friday, January 16, as unseasonably dry conditions and strong winds create heightened risk for rapid wildfire growth.

Loveland residents should avoid outdoor burning or any activity that may cause sparks, and secure loose objects that could be blown around or damaged by the wind.

The City of Loveland Utilities Department does not have any planned power outages. Loveland's electric infrastructure is 87% underground, making it less vulnerable to wind-related damage. Residents can check power status at lovelandwaterandpower.org/PowerOutage.

The National Weather Service forecasts critical fire weather conditions across the plains Friday. Relative humidity is expected to drop to 15 to 20 percent. Winds will gust to 60 to 70 mph over the plains, according to the NWS Area Forecast Discussion.

Larimer County has suspended all burn permits during the warning period. Red Flag Warnings are issued when weather and drought conditions could allow a spark to trigger rapid wildfire spread.

While Loveland is avoiding outages, Xcel Energy planned a Public Safety Power Shutoff affecting about 9,000 customers in Larimer and Weld counties during the January 16 event to reduce ignition risk from power infrastructure.

Residents can sign up for emergency alerts or update their registration at NOCOalert.org.