textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Extreme fire weather conditions continue through tonight. Single digit relative humidities and gusts of 45-55 mph are expected and may lead to rapid wildfire spread.

- Strong winds will continue Sunday, favoring the Four Corners with the strongest gusts, while the remainder of the region remains locked into a significant critical fire weather regime.

- Winds diminish some on Monday, but dry and windy conditions will persist through the week, with temperatures returning to above normal by week's end. Wetting rains are not expected.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 142 PM MDT Sat Jun 27 2026

The deep trough situated over the Great Basin remains locked in place for much of the near-term forecast and likely beyond that. The strong southwesterly jet streak from SOCAL across the Four Corners will ensure strong surface winds continue to impact the region tonight and Sunday. Wind Advisories were issued over Red Flag Warnings around the Four Corners on Sunday. This will result in another day of strong fire behavior across the region. Numerous dry lightning starts in eastern UT and western CO have grown into wildfires this afternoon. These fires will produce prodigious amounts of smoke as they grow, likely impacting air quality and visibility in the coming days, should they expand in size.

The strong ridge over the eastern half of the CONUS will set up a blocking pattern here in the West. This will keep critical fire weather conditions locked in until at least Tuesday. Went ahead and issued Fire Watches for Monday for much of eastern UT and western CO. A shift in the blocking high helps loosen the upper level winds Wednesday. Relative humidities remain stubbornly low though and fire weather remains a concern through the week as a result. Cooler air in the gut of this western trough helps keep temperatures below to near normal, but this air mass will slowly modify above normal by week's end. For now we hold off triple digits for all but a few desert locales. Precipitation looks hard to come by this coming week. Non zero chances remain in place up north in the Uintas. This will likely just produce some cloud cover, with wetting rains unlikely.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1111 AM MDT Sat Jun 27 2026

Very strong southwesterly gusts have already developed this morning and are expected to strengthen throughout the afternoon. All terminals should expect gusts to reach 30-40 kts with 45-kt gusts possible at RIL, GJT, MTJ, and CNY. For most terminals, gusts should remain at 15-25 kts throughout the night before strengthening again tomorrow afternoon. Cloud cover is minimal aside from some broken high-level clouds at VEL, and VFR conditions prevail.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 142 PM MDT Sat Jun 27 2026

Critical fire weather conditions remain firmly locked in place. Numerous new fire starts have grown into wildfires this afternoon in eastern UT and western CO. Strong winds beneath a southwesterly jet streak will continue to stoke fires tonight and tomorrow. Wind Advisories were issued again for Sunday around the Four Corners, where winds will gust in excess of 45 mph. This will prove to be another exceptional day of critical fire weather conditions for most of the region. Blocking high pressure downstream will keep the West Slope beneath strong winds into Tuesday. Fire Watches are in place Monday thanks to another gusty, dry day. Afternoon relative humidities show little sign of easing this week. Overnight humidity recovery will provide some relief to fire growth. However, by week's end portions of eastern UT and extreme western CO could see very little humidity recovery. Wetting rains remain unlikely this week, until we can secure some extra-tropical moisture. Models are hinting at a week plume working north by next Friday. This seems like a thin hope at this far out.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Red Flag Warning until midnight MDT tonight for COZ200>203-205- 207-290>295. Red Flag Warning from noon to 10 PM MDT Sunday for COZ202-203- 207-290-292-294. Wind Advisory until 10 PM MDT this evening for COZ001-002- 006>008-011-020>022. Fire Weather Watch from Monday afternoon through Monday evening for COZ200-202-203-207-290-292>294. Wind Advisory from 10 AM to 9 PM MDT Sunday for COZ020-021. UT...Red Flag Warning until midnight MDT tonight for UTZ486-487-490- 491. Red Flag Warning from noon to 10 PM MDT Sunday for UTZ487-490- 491. Wind Advisory until 10 PM MDT this evening for UTZ022-024-027- 029. Fire Weather Watch from Monday afternoon through Monday evening for UTZ487-490-491. Wind Advisory from 10 AM to 9 PM MDT Sunday for UTZ022.