textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Freeze Warnings are in place for the Yampa River Basin, central Colorado River Basin and SW Colorado valleys from midnight tonight through 9 AM this morning.

- Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue each afternoon, favoring the San Juans with rain in the lower elevations and some snow above 9500 feet.

- Temperatures warm above average this weekend with overall drier conditions and isolated showers on the mountains each afternoon.

- Precipitation chances increase again late Sunday into early next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1031 PM MDT Fri May 1 2026

Satellite imagery and radar show showers continuing across southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado with cyclonic rotation tracking east near Pagosa Springs CO. There have been a few lightning strikes along the Colorado/New Mexico Border with the dynamics of the leading edge of this vortex. Look for these showers to dissipate or move out of the region by midnight as the low moves east onto the Front Range. High pressure is moving in from the northwest clearing out the skies along and north of the I-70 corridor. This clearing will continue to push to the southeast overnight to promote some radiative cooling along with some weak cold air advection. Expect another night of sub- freezing temperatures for our higher northwest Colorado valleys, Upper Colorado River Basin and southwest Colorado valleys from the Animas to the San Juan River Basin with another Freeze Warning in effect for these areas through 9 AM tomorrow morning. Though with the ridge moving in we expect warmer morning lows, the higher northwest Colorado valleys could see another round of freezing temperatures Sunday morning. Stay tuned for an up date tomorrow.

THIS WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEK:

As the high pressure ridge builds overhead this weekend, look for temperatures to warm to above normal with isolated afternoon showers in the mountains mainly over the San Juans with a few possible farther north in the central Colorado mountains due to residual moisture and diurnal heating. Most areas will remain relatively dry, with light winds. Models seem to be in agreement about a low pushing across the Great Basin Monday bringing our next chance for rain. This system is trending to pretty insignificant amounts for eastern Utah and the far western Colorado considering it's over a three day period with more possible in the central and northern Colorado mountains. Quite a bit of uncertainty exists though but unsettled weather is possible through early next week with this trough overhead. Temperatures will trend back towards normal for most of next week with the troughing overhead and increased cloud cover. Towards the end of next week, we could see a dry period for a day or two followed by more unsettled weather, but models are up in the air on the timing and extent.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1143 PM MDT Fri May 1 2026

Midlevel clouds persist over the San Juans at this hour as well as KGUC but continue to dissipate. This trend will continue overnight keeping flight conditions in the VFR category. We'll see another round of few to scattered midlevel clouds over the higher terrain tomorrow. Some broken skies are expected over the San Juans and portions of the central mountains where an odd shower might pop off. Despite that, VFR conditions will remain in place with generally light winds.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Freeze Warning until 9 AM MDT Saturday for COZ001-002-008-022- 023. UT...None.