Overview
- Xcel Energy's public safety power shutoffs are affecting Jefferson County as wind-driven outages persist, with earlier storms leaving more than 200,000 customers without electricity.
- Jefferson County Public Health advises discarding refrigerated food after four hours without power and warns residents not to taste items to judge safety.
- CDC guidance says refrigerators must stay at or below 40°F and freezers at 0°F, with food safe for about four hours in a fridge, 48 hours in a full freezer, and 24 hours in a half-full freezer.
- Medications that require refrigeration should be thrown out after 24 hours without power unless labeling states otherwise, with life‑saving drugs used only temporarily until replacement is obtained.
- To slow spoilage, officials recommend keeping appliance doors closed, using the coldest settings, clustering items, and adding ice packs, and they refer those who lost food to Food Bank of the Rockies' pantry finder.