textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Unseasonably warm and dry conditions dominate the forecast through the middle of next week.

- While most remain warm and dry, periods of light precipitation are possible for the northern mountains later in the work week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/

Issued at 200 AM MST Sat Dec 13 2025

The forecast remains on track for unseasonably warm and dry conditions across eastern Utah and western Colorado this weekend. The only sensible weather to contend with will be localized pockets of early-morning valley fog, most notably in the Gunnison area. However, increasing cloud cover tonight could prove enough to stave away the fog.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 200 AM MST Sat Dec 13 2025

Overall, next week looks to remain mostly dry and unseasonably warm with highs around 15 degrees above normal. Precipitation is possible across the north mid to late week with light snow favoring the northern mountains.

A shortwave trough will undercut the sprawling high pressure ridge firmly in place across the west, bringing quite a bit more cloud cover on Monday but not much else as the atmosphere remains dry. This ridge then flattens a bit and opens the door to a series of Atmospheric Rivers that pummel the Pacific Northwest through much of the coming week, spreading inland into the Intermountain West. Much of this moisture remains north of the area with a northwest to westerly flow across our CWA. Wednesday presents the next opportunity at precipitation as one of these AR laden troughs pushes onto the PacNW coast Wednesday morning and quickly moves inland across the Intermountain West and Northern Rockies, with the southern edge of this trough clipping our northern mountains and areas along the CO-WY border Wednesday afternoon/evening into Thursday morning. We may see another shortwave clipping the north late next week as well. The ECMWF is a bit more amplified and further south with this mid week shortwave while the GFS remains further north. Blended guidance takes a middle ground approach with the further north solution favored, so snowfall amounts in the northern mountains appear light with maybe a couple inches at best with each passing wave. Temperatures this week don't seem to be affected much by these shortwaves as this mild, Pacific airmass remains in place with highs around 15 degrees above normal, give or take a few degrees.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 200 AM MST Sat Dec 13 2025

VFR conditions are forecast through the TAF period with light, terrain-driven winds. The outlier may be KGUC where a nightly layer of ground fog could again develop and wander in and out creating MVFR/LIFR conditions at times.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...None. UT...None.