textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- A widespread hard freeze with associated Freeze Warnings are in effect current through 10 AM in the morning for the valleys of eastern Utah and Western Colorado.

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

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1029 PM MDT Fri Apr 17 2026

Satellite imagery shows the trough that brought the snow showers to the region has moved out onto the Plains with a ridge moving in off the Pacific into the Great Basin. We can see the affect of the subsidence in the clouds evaporating southwest to northeast. With the skies mostly clearing out tonight and the cold air in place, we are still looking at a hard freeze for most of the valleys across eastern Utah and Western Colorado. Even the Grand Valley will see temperatures dip into the mid to upper 20's. A Freeze Warning is in effect currently through 10 AM in the morning for all the valley areas across the region. With some lingering moisture along and north of I-70, we could see some fog develop in the upper Colorado and Yampa River Valleys overnight into the early morning hours, and there's a slight chance for a few light orographic showers over the northern Colorado mountains with anywhere from a dusting, up to an inch possible.

After the cold Spring morning with temperatures 10-15 degrees below normal, We'll see warming under mostly clear skies with temperature warming to about five degrees below normal through the afternoon. With normal diurnal cooling overnight Saturday, the Sunday morning low will still run about five degrees below normal with a Freeze Watch in place for the Uinta Basin, northwestern and southwestern Colorado and the central Colorado River Basin, the Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin, and the Paradox Valley.

By Sunday afternoon as the ridge to the west exerts its influence over the region, temperatures will climb to five degrees above normal across the region on its way to unusually warm temperatures 10-15 degrees above normal Monday through mid week as the ridge shifts overhead. Over the weekend, a deep cold core low drops down out of the Gulf of Alaska to off the California Coast that will pull a surge of moisture up into the southern mountains Monday bringing a chance for afternoon showers to the San Juans and surrounding areas. Otherwise, we'll see unusually warm and dry conditions through mid week. Models are struggling to forecast this low and their solutions diverge wildly beyond mid-week. The ensembles are in general agreement bringing the low inland to set up a general longwave trough across the Western States in the long term which wound bring periods of unsettled weather to the region every few days. This is just a wag, but we'll just have to see how this plays out.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1122 PM MDT Fri Apr 17 2026

A weak clipper wave will glance northwest Colorado this morning, bringing some low ceilings and visibilities with bouts of snow. The feature works through by daybreak, with some residual cloud cover remaining until sunrise. Elsewhere, VFR conditions will prevail at the terminals through the period. Afternoon winds will remain terrain driven and light, compared to recent windier days. Clear skies will prevail too.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Freeze Warning until 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 until 10 AM MDT Saturday for UTZ022-024-027-029. Freeze Watch from late Saturday night through Sunday morning for UTZ024.