Colorado is starting to rediscover winter. Which means it’s time to give the tree branch warning again.  

The timing may feel odd. After all, we’re currently at our lowest snowpack in years. December felt more like early October at best. But cold times seem to be sneaking back in – and whether it takes the form of long-unseen ice or another round of wind, that can be hard news for branches.  

And when those branches sit near a power line, one crack can put a lot of people in the dark. 

We do a lot to head that sort of thing off. About 75% of Longmont’s lines are now underground and we regularly trim back trees on public property to help protect the other 25% (and we encourage home and business owners to have their own trees trimmed as well). But we know Colorado weather can still lay it on the line, so to speak. So when the bough breaks, here are a few things to remember:  

• Be prepared before an outage hits.  Check out our tips on how to prepare for a cold-weather outage as well as how to stay safe if one occurs.  
• If you see a broken power line (whether it’s from a tree branch or anything else), stay far away from it. A broken line can energize the ground for 35 feet in every direction. Call us at 303-651-8386 so our crews can take care of it.   

• If you see a tree limb on a power line, do NOT try to remove it yourself. Again, keep your distance and call us!  

• If you are experiencing an outage, call us at either 303-651-8386 (our main line) or 303-776-0011 (our outage line) and our crews will respond as quickly and safely as possible. The lines can sometimes get busy if a lot of homes are being affected; if you keep hearing a busy signal, hang up and try again in a few minutes.  

• Check out our Electric Outage Status Page for updates. That’s where we’ll post information on outages that affect a large number of customers or go on for a long period of time. 

Keep it in mind as a just in case. Because even in a warmer winter, it’s something that’s cool to know.