textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Tonight will be cold with a Freeze warning in effect from 2 AM to 8 AM for the valleys of northwestern Colorado and in the Four Corners area in southwestern Colorado.

- Expect afternoon wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph daily through the coming week.

- Friday will see dry conditions and stronger winds across the region with gusts to 45 mph possible in northwestern Colorado where a Red Flag Warning is active from noon to 9 PM.

- Widespread rain and mountain snow returns Saturday night through Sunday. Cooler and unsettled weather continues through mid next week

DISCUSSION

Issued at 116 PM MDT Thu Apr 23 2026

The satellite imagery the low pressure system that brought us the weather and strong winds yesterday is settling in over Alberta and Saskatchewan where the models want to park it for the next five to seven days to keep a longwave trough in place across the Western States. This will keep unsettled weather in the forecast for eastern Utah and Western Colorado through this period as shortwave disturbances transit through the pattern. In this pattern, the region is under a dry zonal flow aloft that will keep afternoon winds on the breezy side with gusts 20 to 35 mph. Additionally, high pressure/ridging is setting up off the Pacific Northwest extending up into the Gulf of Alaska that will keep low pressure/troughing off the Southern California Coast that will act to pull moisture off the eastern Pacific into the Desert Southwest and the Great Basin that will eventually work its way into the region bringing welcomed rain and mountain snow.

The first of a number of shortwaves passes to the north tomorrow producing stronger winds 20-30 mph with gusts to 45 mph generally north of the I-70 corridor. This combined with the dry airmass in place and the critically dry heavy fuels in northwestern Colorado is resulting in critical fire weather conditions in this area tomorrow afternoon where a Red Flag Warning is in place from noon to 9 PM Friday for fire weather zones 200 and 202. This IS the fire weather season so take extra care if you are out camping or playing in the forests, or doing agricultural burning even if you are not in the Red Flag zones. The dry air over the region will promote overnight cooling under the clear skies is leading to another night of freezing temperatures in northwestern and southwestern Colorado tonight. A Freeze Warning is in place from 2 AM through tomorrow 8 AM tomorrow for northwestern Colorado in the Central and Lower Yampa River Basins, and along the I-70 corridor from De Beque east through the Central Colorado River Basin. This Freeze Warning is also in place for southwestern Colorado in the Animas River Basin, the Four Corners area/Upper Dolores River Basin and the San Juan River Basin.

MOISTURE RETURNS SATURDAY ONWARD:

By Saturday the low pressure off Southern California will start pumping moist air into the region. This moisture with a stronger passing disturbance will bring widespread rain and mountain snow to the region Saturday night through Sunday night with up to a quarter inch rain possible through the lower valleys to over a half inch or more precipitation possible in the mountains and higher valleys. Continued passing disturbances will bring yet more showers almost daily to the region through the rest of next week.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 522 PM MDT Thu Apr 23 2026

Gusts continue this afternoon, but are beginning to weaken, with the strongest winds expected to come to an end by 9 PM. Lighter winds prevail throughout the night before strong gusts return tomorrow as early as 11 AM. Look for terminals to see these gusts reach 20-35 mph in the afternoon. Otherwise, VFR conditions dominate throughout the TAF period.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 116 PM MDT Thu Apr 23 2026

Very dry conditions continue across eastern Utah and Western Colorado through Friday. Due to critically dry heavy fuels in northwestern Colorado and stronger winds Friday afternoon with gusts to 45 mph, a Red Flag Warning has been issued for fire Weather Zones 201 and 202 from noon through 9 PM. Moisture moving into the region Saturday onwards increasing relative humidity through the coming week will limit the critical fire weather conditions.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Freeze Warning from 2 AM to 8 AM MDT Friday for COZ001-002-007- 008-021>023. Red Flag Warning from noon to 9 PM MDT Friday for COZ200-202. UT...None.