CU Advisory Updates

[12:28 p.m. | Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025]

Power has been fully restored to the northwest corner of the main campus along University Avenue between Broadway and 17th Street. The university is working to confirm the status of power restoration at the Mountain Research Station.

Facilities Management is assessing the scope of damage on campus. Many trees have fallen around campus. Cleanup is underway and will take several days. Please continue to use caution if on campus.

[5:27 p.m. | Friday, Dec. 19, 2025]

CU Boulder will resume standard winter break weekend operating hours on Saturday, Dec. 20. However, CU Boulder strongly encourages people to refrain from coming to campus due to ongoing power and traffic impacts around the city and many downed trees on campus and in the broader community. 

The Boulder Office of Disaster Management has reported many downed power lines around Boulder County. If you see a downed power line, stay at least 30 feet away, assume it's live and dangerous, and immediately call 911 to report it as an electrical emergency.

Facilities Management has received many reports of downed trees and limbs and other debris on campus. It will take the university several days to remove debris. Report broken tree branches or facilities impacts to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522. 

The northwest corner of main campus, along University Avenue between Broadway and 17th Street, which was included in Xcel’s proactive power outage, remains without power. There is no estimated timeline for when power will be restored to that area.

If you must be on campus and are unable to access a campus building, contact the CUPD non-emergency line at 303-492-6666.

Stay safe, Buffs, and monitor alerts.colorado.edu, the CU Boulder Safe App and CU Boulder social media channels for updates.

[12:53 p.m. | Friday, Dec. 19, 2025]

Facilities Management has received several reports of downed trees and limbs around campus. If on campus, report downed/broken trees or facilities impacts to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522. Avoid areas that have been blocked off due to risk of fallen trees.

[7:20 a.m. | Friday, Dec. 19, 2025]

Parts of the CU Boulder campus are included on Xcel Energy’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) outage map for Friday: the Mountain Research Station and the northwest corner of main campus along University Avenue between Broadway and 17th Street. This includes the following buildings: Limelight Hotel & Conference Center, Page Foundation Center, Jessor Building, Armory, Arts & Sciences Office Building 1, Continuing Education Center, Center for Native American & Indigenous Studies and Conference of World Affairs Administration. At this time, the campus does not anticipate impacts to Athens North.

CU Boulder could still experience power impacts if weather conditions prompt Xcel to shut off any energy lines that support the campus. University leadership is in contact with Xcel Energy to monitor these potential impacts throughout the weather event.

While the university is closed today, Thursday, Dec. 18, there are students who live on campus and essential personnel who are on site. The university strongly encourages anyone who does not need to be on campus for a legitimate business purpose to refrain from coming to campus today. For those who must be on campus:

• If you are unable to access a campus building, contact the CUPD non-emergency line at 303-492-6666.
• Report broken tree branches or facilities impacts to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522.

The National Weather Service has issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation for fire weather in Boulder County and surrounding areas for Friday. Wind gusts of up to 100 MPH are forecasted in parts of Boulder County. Sign up for Boulder County Alerts (BoCo Alerts) to receive updates about emergencies or disasters in Boulder County and the actions you should take to keep yourself safe.

[3:28 p.m. | Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025]

CU Boulder has issued an Administrative Closure for Friday, Dec. 19, due to forecasted high winds, planned power outages and high fire danger.

Xcel Energy has indicated it will initiate a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday. The full scope of Friday’s PSPS is not known, however, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts wind gusts of up to 85 MPH in Boulder on Friday. Boulder is also in a Fire Weather Watch Friday, as the NWS forecasts humidity levels will be between 10-15%.

Power to all buildings impacted by Wednesday’s PSPS and unexpected outages has been restored.

Per the Campus Closure Policy: 

Online classes taught asynchronously, without a specific start time, are not affected.

Administrative Closure means that administrative functions of the campus are closed so that the campus can implement the protocols required to continue essential services (dining, housing, facilities, safety, etc.). Please stay clear of debris and downed lines.

• Campus events, facilities and venues may be closed or canceled, and employees, students and others should contact venues and event organizers directly for questions regarding operating status.
• Critical and essential services employees should report to their duty locations.
• All other employees should remain off campus.
• It is not expected for most faculty and staff to work during the closure regardless of work modality. In the event that multi-campus, virtual meetings not pertaining to the closure are scheduled, communication will be sent to impacted employees as early as possible. All other meetings are canceled, regardless of modality.
• Administrative leave is granted to all regular employees for their scheduled work hours during the period of Administrative Closure. Employees may reference the Inclement Weather Guidance from Human Resources for more information, including requirements and guidance for essential and critical services employees who may be required to work during the closure.
• Visit the Campus Dining Services website for up-to-date information on hours and locations.

Facilities Management will work to remove downed trees and limbs around campus as it is safe to do so. Report downed/broken trees or facilities impacts on campus to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522.

The Boulder Office of Disaster Management will be the lead agency communicating about any evacuations due to weather or wildfire. Make sure you’re signed up for Boulder County Alerts (BoCo Alerts) to receive updates should this occur in Boulder County.

Stay safe, Buffs. Keep your devices charged and monitor alerts.colorado.edu, the CU Boulder Safe App and CU Boulder social media channels for updates. You may sign up for alerts from the below agencies to stay up to date on information:

• Check for periodic updates on the Boulder Office of Disaster Management (ODM) website.
• Follow @NWSBoulder on X.
• Follow Boulder Police on X for updates on safety impacts to the city.
• Follow Xcel Energy Colorado on X for power outage updates.

[2:43 p.m. | Thursday, December 18, 2025]

Xcel has restored power to all buildings impacted by Wednesday’s PSPS and unexpected outages.

[11:43 a.m. | Thursday, December 18, 2025]

Power has been restored to LASP, CASA, the Space Science Building (SPSC). All buildings in Williams Village and the northwest corner of the main campus––along University Avenue between Broadway and 17th Street––remain without power with no known restoration timeline. If your building is without power, please do not report to campus unless you are an essential employee.

Supervisors are asked to provide flexibility to those impacted by the ongoing weather event, and should contact their HR representative for additional guidance if you have employees impacted by Wednesday’s wind event.

The National Weather Service is tracking another significant wind event and elevated wildfire risk on Friday. Campus leadership will continue to monitor the weather forecast and will make a decision of any operational changes to campus by the end of today, Thursday, Dec. 18. 

The Boulder Office of Disaster Management will be the lead agency communicating about any evacuations due to weather or wildfire. Make sure you’re signed up for Boulder County Alerts (BoCo Alerts) to receive updates should this occur in Boulder County.

CU Boulder will continue to share updates via alerts.colorado.edu, and the CU Boulder Safe App, which is available to all students, faculty and staff. 

Updated affected outage area:

[6:20 p.m. | Wednesday, December 17, 2025]

The campus will open at 10 a.m. CU Boulder encourages employees who are able to work remotely to do so as their roles permit. Supervisors are asked to provide flexibility to those impacted by the ongoing weather event.

While the campus will reopen tomorrow, some service interruptions may occur. If impacted buildings are still without power on Thursday morning, building proctors will communicate those ongoing impacts to affected employees. Please be patient with frontline services as all offices work to return to full operating power.

As of 6 p.m., LASP, CASA, the Space Science Building (SPSC) and all buildings in Williams Village have lost power due to an unexpected power outage, with no known restoration timeline. The northwest corner of the main campus, along University Avenue between Broadway and 17th Street, was included in Xcel’s proactive power outage and remains without power.

Per the Campus Closure Policy, a Delayed Start means:

• Online classes taught asynchronously, without a specific start time, are not affected by the delay.
• Dining halls and residence halls will remain open as crews clear sidewalks and roads. Please stay clear of downed trees and power lines.
• All campus events, facilities and venues are open and on-schedule after the delay period has ended.
• Critical and essential services employees should report to their duty locations.
• All other employees should follow the posted campus start time and see Emergency Leave Guidelines for details on reporting times and leave options.
• It is not expected for most faculty and staff to work during the Delayed Start regardless of work modality. In the event that multi-campus, virtual meetings not pertaining to the Delayed Start are scheduled, communication will be sent to impacted employees as early as possible. All other meetings are canceled, regardless of modality.
• Employees may reference the Inclement Weather Guidance from Human Resources for more information, including requirements and guidance for essential and critical services employees who may be required to work during the closure.
• For information on updated Campus Dining Services hours, click here.

Facilities Management has received several reports of downed trees and limbs around campus, and is working to remove those hazards from walkways when it is safe to do so. Report downed/broken trees or facilities impacts on campus to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522. 

The National Weather Service is tracking another significant wind event on Friday. Campus leadership will continue to monitor the weather forecast and will make a decision of any operational changes to campus, and plans to update the campus community tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 18. Stay safe, Buffs, and monitor http://alerts.colorado.edu for updates.

Updated affected outage area:

[2:58 p.m. | Wednesday, December 17, 2025]

High winds have reached Boulder, with wind gusts reaching up to 90 MPH up through 5 p.m. Buildings in Williams Village, including Bear Creek apartments, have lost power, with no known restoration timeline. Electronic key card systems may experience temporary interruptions, though access to individual units should not be impacted. If you cannot access your building or room during the outage, call 303-492-1404.

The Northwest corner of main campus, along University Avenue between Broadway and 17th Street, remains without power.

Facilities management has received several reports of downed trees and limbs around campus. If on campus, report downed/broken trees or facilities impacts to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522.

CU Boulder leadership is continuing to monitor weather impacts and will provide an update regarding operational status for Thursday by Wednesday evening.

Monitor CDOT’s My COtrip map to view the latest road closures along the Front Range. 

 Updated affected outage area:

[9:58 a.m. | Wednesday, December 17, 2025]

The CU Boulder campus is included on Xcel Energy’s outage map, however Xcel has stated that it does not anticipate proactively cutting power to a majority of the campus. The northwest corner of main campus along University Avenue between Broadway and 17th Street is expected to lose power beginning at 10 a.m. This includes the following buildings: Limelight Hotel & Conference Center, Page Foundation Center, Jessor Building, Armory, Arts & Sciences Office Building 1, Continuing Education Center, Center for Native American & Indigenous Studies and Conference of World Affairs Administration. At this time, the campus does not anticipate impacts to Athens North.

CU Boulder could still experience power impacts if weather conditions prompt Xcel to shut off any energy lines that support the campus. University leadership is in contact with Xcel Energy to monitor these potential impacts throughout the weather event.

While the university is closed today, Wednesday, Dec. 17, there are students who live on campus and essential personnel who are on site. The university strongly encourages anyone who does not need to be on campus for a legitimate business purpose to refrain from coming to campus today. For those who must be on campus:

• If you are unable to access a campus building, contact the CUPD non-emergency line at 303-492-6666.
• Report broken tree branches or facilities impacts to the Operations Control Center (OCC) at 303-492-5522.
• Be advised that internet access should remain active as long as there is power to campus. OIT is updating campus Wi-Fi to the new CU Secure and CU Guest networks today. Find more information about how to connect to the new networks at wifi.colorado.edu

Campus leadership will continue to monitor any additional operational impacts to campus, and anticipates providing an update Wednesday afternoon. Updates will be shared via alerts.colorado.edu, and the CU Boulder Safe App, which is available to all students, faculty and staff. 

 Affected outage area:

[6:04 p.m. | Tuesday, December 16, 2025]

CU Boulder has issued a Class Cancellation and Administrative Closure for Wednesday, December 17, 2025 due to forecasted high winds and planned power outages in Boulder County. This closure includes the cancellation of all classes, including online (asynchronous) classes.

Per the Campus Closure Policy: 

Administrative Closure means that administrative functions of the campus are closed so that the campus can implement the protocols required to continue essential services (dining, housing, facilities, safety, etc.) and clear branches as needed. Please stay clear of downed power lines.

• Campus events, facilities and venues may be closed or canceled, and employees, students and others should contact venues and event organizers directly for questions regarding operating status.
• Critical and essential services employees should report to their duty locations.
• All other employees should remain off campus.
• It is not expected for most faculty and staff to work during the closure regardless of work modality. In the event that multi-campus, virtual meetings not pertaining to the closure are scheduled, communication will be sent to impacted employees as early as possible. All other meetings are canceled, regardless of modality.
• Administrative leave is granted to all regular employees for their scheduled work hours during the period of Administrative Closure. Employees may reference the Inclement Weather Guidance from Human Resources for more information, including requirements and guidance for essential and critical services employees who may be required to work during the closure.
• Visit the Campus Dining Services website for up-to-date information on hours and locations.
• Bus schedules can be found at www.colorado.edu/pts/buffbus
• If there are any additional operational impacts to the campus on Thursday, the campus will communicate those to the community by midday Wednesday.

Stay safe, Buffs.

[12:58 p.m. | Tuesday, December 16, 2025]

Xcel Energy has notified CU Boulder of planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) that currently includes the CU Boulder campus starting at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 17, and planned to last through 6 p.m. Wednesday evening. The decision comes as the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag warning for much of the Colorado Front Range, including Boulder, for Wednesday late morning through Wednesday afternoon. The NWS forecasts gusts reaching 60-80 MPH, with sustained winds of 30-40 MPH by mid-afternoon Wednesday. 

CU Boulder leadership is in contact with Xcel Energy and our partners across Boulder County to assess the potential impacts of the high wind event and planned power outage to the campus and surrounding community. Xcel is continuing to monitor the forecast, which may impact its PSPS outage map. The university anticipates it will make any decisions regarding operational status as soon as we have a better understanding from Xcel about the power impacts to campus. Updates will be shared via alerts.colorado.edu, and the CU Boulder Safe App, which is available to all students, faculty and staff. 

The winds may cause power outages and other disruptions. Keep your devices charged and follow or sign up for alerts from the below agencies to stay up to date on information:

• Make sure you’re signed up for Boulder County Alerts (BoCo Alerts).
• Check for periodic updates on the Boulder Office of Disaster Management (ODM) website.
• Follow @NWSBoulder on X.
• Follow Boulder Police on X for updates on safety impacts to the city.
• Follow Xcel Energy Colorado on X for power outage updates.

For disaster preparedness tips, please visit the Boulder ODM preparedness webpage.