Hundreds of power outages were reported Tuesday morning across La Plata and Archuleta counties as a late-winter storm rolled through the region
As of 5 p.m., La Plata Electric Association, reported power had been stored to all areas that suffered outages. At the height of the storm, which dropped wet, heavy snow, about 500 houses were in 13 individual outages were without power.
About 270 member-customers with LPEA in the Goeglein Gulch area of Durango were without power Tuesday morning. Many power lines in the Goeglein Gulch neighborhood are underground, so crews are investigating what may have caused the outage, said Justin Talbot, manager of operations with LPEA.
LPEA stated in a news release Tuesday evening that so much rain and snow has fallen that moisture is believed to have led to the outage in the Goeglein Gulch area even though the lines are underground.
Additional outages included 17 houses in the Vallecito area and 37 houses in the Lake Purgatory area, according to LPEA.
Power outages in Archuleta were “sporadic” and caused by heavy, wet snow accumulating on power lines, Talbot said. Electrical wires get covered with snow when it’s wet and heavy, weighing them down and causing them to touch, he said.
“There are sporadic power outages in Archuleta because they’re getting a lot of snow,” Talbot said.
LPEA systems shut off power to an area when power lines touch, almost like a breaker in a home, and all electric crews need to do is drive by to make sure they’re not still touching to turn on the power, Talbot said.
Talbot did not have an estimate as to when Durango homes may see their power restored.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
