Kit Carson Electric Cooperative would like to inform you that the National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Watch for Tuesday, February 17, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM MST, impacting the eastern portion of our service territory (Pilot Region East).
During high wind warnings, KCEC seeks to coordinate closely with local fire departments, law enforcement, and emergency medical services (EMS) to support safe and effective response efforts.
KCEC aims to maintain open lines of communication, share real-time information regarding outages and infrastructure impacts, and prioritize response to downed lines or damaged equipment in active incident areas.
By working collaboratively, we want to reduce hazards, protect critical infrastructure, and support first responders in maintaining public safety during severe weather events. KCEC is monitoring the weather and will keep members updated on any changes.
Areas Impacted
This includes areas just east of Questa and Taos, including:
- Red River
- Angel Fire
- Eagle Lake
- Black Lake
- Communities east of Rock Wall along Highway 518
The Upper Red River feeder area is expected to experience the strongest wind gusts.
Forecasted winds are 30–40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph possible. These conditions may result in:
- Downed trees and power lines
- Possible power outages
- Difficult travel conditions, especially for high-profile vehicles
In addition, a Red Flag Warning is in effect due to elevated wildfire risk from strong winds and dry conditions.
What KCEC Is Doing
KCEC is actively monitoring this event using FireScape, KCEC’s AI-powered wildfire mitigation and risk modeling software, which provides real-time weather intelligence, feeder-level risk analysis, and enhanced situational awareness across our system.
In preparation for this wind event, we are:
- Pre-positioning crews in higher-risk areas
- Increasing system and weather monitoring
- Preparing for rapid outage response
- Enhancing wildfire mitigation readiness
- Actively monitoring high-risk feeders, including the Upper Red River area
Our teams are on standby and ready to respond quickly to protect public safety and system reliability.
What Members Can Do
- Secure loose outdoor items
- Avoid outdoor burning or activities that could create sparks
- Use caution while traveling
- Report outages immediately through our outage reporting system
We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we work to maintain safe and reliable service during this high wind event.
This is an image of KCEC’s monitoring software illustrating high wind warnings for our service territory.
