textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- A widespread hard freeze is imminent tonight. Freeze Warnings are in effect from 10 PM Friday through 10 AM Saturday.

- Warm and dry conditions builds back in this weekend into early next week, with unsettled weather returning later in the week

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1114 AM MDT Fri Apr 17 2026

HARD FREEZE TONIGHT:

Conditons rapidly improve this afternoon as the cold front responsible for this morning's snow pushes east of the Divide. In it's wake, below normal temperatures settle in. This afternoon, temperatures are forecast to top out around 15 degrees below normal for mid April. Tonight we'll see more of the same, with low temperatures falling into the teens to mid 20s in the valleys, or around 10 to 15 degrees below normal. Freeze Warnings remain in effect. Temperatures this cold will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Temperatures begin to warm tomorrow, but most of the area will remain 5 to 10 degrees below normal. As a result, a Freeze Watch has been issued for tomorrow night for the valleys that are expected to see impactful subfreezing temperatures.

NEXT WEEK'S OUTLOOK:

Looking forward, a ridge of high pressure builds back in for the weekend and first half of the week ahead which will bring unseasonably warm temperatures back to the region. A slight uptick in moisture across southeast Utah and southwest Colorado early next week could produce isolated to scattered showers over the southern mountains from time to time.

The ridge breaks down mid-week giving way to a more active weather pattern.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 1155 AM MDT Fri Apr 17 2026

The cold front has passed across the divide this morning leaving areas of moderate to heavy snow in it's wake with clearing farther west into Utah. As the precipitation become more showery TAF forecasts are likely to quickly change from VFR to IFR in passing snow showers through mid afternoon. Most of the precipitation should be done by early evening with skies clearing overnight. Wind behind the front will bring gust of 25 to 40 mph which will abate after sunset. Low confidence forecast of fog development in wake of this new precipitation. KEGE...KASE...KHDN and KGJT could all see fog/lower clouds in the vicinity of the airfields during the early morning hours.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Freeze Warning from 10 PM this evening to 10 AM MDT Saturday for COZ001-002-006>008-011-020>023. Freeze Watch from late Saturday night through Sunday morning for COZ001-002-007-008-011-020>023. UT...Freeze Warning from 10 PM this evening to 10 AM MDT Saturday for UTZ022-024-027-029. Freeze Watch from late Saturday night through Sunday morning for UTZ024.