textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Hot and dry weather continues with a chance to set daily high temperature records each afternoon.

- Widespread critical fire weather conditions develop under a hot, dry, windy regime Wednesday and Thursday.

- A cooler pattern emerges after this weekend with temperatures still trending above average.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1149 AM MDT Tue Mar 24 2026

Record Highs Continue

High pressure continues to arc over the Four Corners tonight. This will reinforce the anomalously warm air mass over the region. Record high temperatures will continue under this regime. A strong frontal boundary draped along the Canadian Border will settle southward Wednesday and Thursday. This will drive up winds across the region, leading to critical fire weather concerns. Red Flag warnings were issued this package for northwest Colorado, where fuels have cured sufficiently. Fire Weather Watches continue there for Thursday. The frontal boundary remains out of reach for any meaningful cooler air. Weak moisture produces some cloud cover Thursday that could suppress mixing and wind speeds, as well as produce a few isolated rain showers on the northern mountains. The dry boundary layer looks too formidable for any measurable precipitation.

Pattern Shift

By Friday, the frontal boundary slides east, leaving some cooler air across our northern counties, while southward, warm and dry conditions continue. Models are hinting at a more progressive pattern Saturday and beyond, as a series of shortwaves ripple over the Great Basin. Some additional moisture is introduced to the region and further suppresses critical fire weather conditions heading into next week. POPs jump up Monday and Tuesday, giving hope for some measurable moisture next week.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 526 PM MDT Tue Mar 24 2026

High level clouds will clear out of the area tonight, leading to SKC to FEW skies by the morning. Afternoon gusts will persist for another hour or two at some sites, but by 02Z, winds will become light and terrain driven. Tomorrow afternoon gusty winds upwards of 20 to 30 mph are possible.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1149 AM MDT Tue Mar 24 2026

Anomalously warm and dry conditions will continue Wednesday and Thursday with widespread critical fire weather conditions developing. Temperatures trend 25-30 degrees above average Wednesday and Thursday along with relative humidities trending at critical value. With receptive fuels, Fire Zones 200 and 202 were upgraded to Red Flag Warnings Wednesday and remain under a Fire Weather Watch for Thursday. RH values for Zone 201 came up enough to negate fire weather concerns there and the watches were cancelled. Cooler temperatures return by the weekend, but remain well above normal with localized critical fire weather conditions Friday and Saturday. A more progressive pattern emerges early next week with cooler temperatures and additional moisture arriving. This is expected to suppress critical fire weather concerns.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 PM MDT Wednesday for COZ200- 202. Fire Weather Watch Thursday afternoon for COZ200-202. UT...None.