Dec 17, 2025 – Xcel Energy initiates a public‑safety power shutoff at 10 a.m. across Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties, cutting electricity to roughly 50,000 customers to reduce wildfire risk as forecasted winds could reach 90 mph and humidity drop to 12 %; the utility warns outages may last several days and temperatures will fall to 28 °F, prompting local officials to issue emergency‑kit guidance [5].

Dec 19, 2025 – The National Weather Service issues the first‑ever Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) red‑flag warning for Colorado foothills and Wyoming’s Laramie County, flagging winds of 45‑55 mph with gusts up to 100 mph, extremely low humidity and near‑record warmth, and urges residents to prepare evacuation kits because safe evacuation may be impossible in some cases [2].

Dec 19, 2025 – A rare “particularly dangerous situation” fire‑weather warning is released for the Colorado Front Range as forecasters predict gusts of 80‑100 mph in Boulder County, prompting Xcel Energy to conduct additional public‑safety power shutoffs that leave tens of thousands without heat or hot water for more than 24 hours [6].

Dec 19, 2025 – A wildfire in northeastern Colorado expands to about 40,000 acres, driven by 50‑60 mph winds and dry winter conditions that have left the region with minimal snowpack, while nine separate fires burn across Yuma County, prompting officials to call on farmers to use tractors and disks to cut fire lines [4].

Dec 19, 2025 – Oregon flood warnings are issued as heavy rain threatens Clackamas County, leading to evacuations of hundreds of homes and the opening of an emergency shelter at Clackamas Community College; simultaneously, forecasters anticipate a Pineapple Express moisture plume arriving around Christmas Eve, potentially bringing rain to California’s coast and snow to the Sierra Nevada [6].

Feb 17, 2026 – Strong winds exceeding 60 mph generate “brown‑out” conditions on I‑25 south of Pueblo, Colorado, causing a 30‑vehicle pileup that kills four people and injures dozens; Colorado State Police Maj. Brian Lyons says “visibility was next to nothing,” highlighting how the gusts created near‑zero sightlines [1].

Feb 17, 2026 – The NOAA Storm Prediction Center issues an “Extremely Critical” fire‑weather outlook for the central and southern Plains, warning that sustained winds over 60 mph will drive rapid fire growth, limit suppression options and could ground aircraft, prompting state officials to activate emergency operations centers and issue Red Flag Warnings across western Oklahoma and southwest Kansas [3].

Feb 17, 2026 – The Ranger Road fire in Clark County, Kansas erupts from roughly 15,000 to 145,000 acres within eight hours as winds over 60 mph push flames across highways, forcing evacuations of more than 11,000 residents in Englewood, Ashland and Tyrone and prompting road closures on I‑70 and U.S. 50 [3][1].

Feb 17, 2026 – Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt coordinates the response to the Ranger Road fire, requesting Texas air assets but noting that high winds prevent aerial drops, and directs forestry crews, fire hoses and bulldozers to the scene while urging residents to obey evacuation orders via X [1].

Feb 17, 2026 – Woodward, Oklahoma experiences a rapidly spreading wildfire that forces evacuation orders for 3,000‑4,000 people in the city’s southwest quadrant; Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s Woodward campus closes, and the evacuation zone expands south of Oklahoma Ave and west of 13th St as smoke and dust reduce visibility on nearby highways [1][3].

Feb 17, 2026 – Xcel Energy cuts power to about 15,000 customers in the Texas Panhandle under a public‑safety power shutoff as high winds and red‑flag conditions threaten the grid, mirroring earlier Colorado shutoffs and highlighting regional utility pre‑emptive actions during extreme fire weather [3].

Feb 17, 2026 – Forecasts indicate that the extreme fire‑weather pattern, with gusts up to 70 mph and low humidity, will persist through the weekend across the Plains, suggesting continued evacuation orders, limited aerial firefighting, and potential further power shutoffs in affected states [1][3].