textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Showers will shift northward tomorrow with areas north of highway 50 favored.

- Localized critical fire weather conditions favor southeast UT and southwest CO tomorrow afternoon.

- Excessive heat watch has been issued for Saturday and Sunday afternoon for near record temperatures in the lower valleys of eastern Utah and western Colorado.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1056 PM MDT Wed Jul 8 2026

High pressure building over the Desert Southwest will move/build to the northeast over eastern Utah and Western Colorado by Sunday and expand east over the Plains going into next week. An upper level shortwave with a weak jet streak supporting it is moving across the region tonight is keeping isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms going mostly to the north of I-70, but there are a few moving through the central areas. These storms aren't producing much in the way of precip, but can kick out some gusts of 40-50 mph. Look for these storms to diminish through the overnight into the morning, but will redevelop around noon with diurnal heating. There will be few storms tomorrow than we had today and they will stay mostly to the north and will be ending by early evening due to subsidence under the high pressure pushing up from the southwest. With the high pressure moving into the region, near normal temperatures across the region tomorrow will warm to about five degrees above normal Friday, ten degrees above normal Saturday, and near record 15 degrees above normal Sunday. With high pressure over the region, the hot dry conditions will continue, but winds will be light to non existent bringing an end to the critical fire weather conditions. The high pressure does seem to pull moisture around it up into the Great Basin with models indicating a little moisture may be able to slip into the region under the high. This would generate afternoon showers and thunderstorms, but it too early to say how much moisture will make it into the region. Stay tuned for updates.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 517 AM MDT Thu Jul 9 2026

Isolated showers and storms are expected this afternoon and evening, favoring northern portions of the forecast area. Even so, a few could pop over the San Juans. Included PROB30 groups for this convection at KASE and KEGE sites this afternoon. Some gusty afternoon winds are also anticipated, reaching 20 to 25 kts. Higher gusts will be possible under and near any convection. Midlevel clouds are also expected thought flight conditions will remain VFR.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Extreme Heat Watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening for COZ001-002-005>008-011-014-020>023. UT...Extreme Heat Watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening for UTZ022-024-027-029.