Storm causes power outages

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Special to The SUN

The relatively warm, moisture-laden storm that moved through Southwest Colorado resulted in numerous spot outages in Archuleta County, which kept crews of La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) busy for a good part of the day, Saturday, Jan. 31.

As temperatures began rising at about 8 a.m., wet snow that had settled on LPEA’s wires throughout Archuleta County began unloading, causing the wires to “jump” and come in contact with each other or nearby objects. LPEA’s system will cut the flow of electricity if it perceives a safety issue or one that will further damage the system. Significant jumping of the wires can also cause fuses to blow, automatically cutting the power.

Spot outages continued throughout the morning ultimately affecting a total of 544 customers in the county.

By 1 p.m., crews had restored power to all but approximately 28 customers in remote areas of Archuleta County. At 3:17 p.m., power was restored to all.