textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Gusty winds are expected each afternoon through Friday and with dry air in place, critical fire weather conditions remain elevated.

- Red Flag Warnings remain in effect today and tomorrow for much of eastern Utah and the Four Corners area. Fire Weather Watches have also been issued for Friday for the same areas and times as gusty winds and dry air remain in place.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1213 PM MDT Wed May 27 2026

HOT, DRY, AND WINDY CONDITIONS CONTINUE

The deep closed low will continue spinning over the Great Basin keeping the CWA under broad southerly flow. Drier air will start moving in, essentially cutting off moisture advection and widespread precip. A few stray showers or a quick storm may fire over the spine of the Divide this afternoon/evening but coverage and QPF will be low. The pressure gradient will also tighten thanks to the low so we can expect gusty winds each afternoon through Saturday before the low opens up and lifts to the northeast. High temps will remain well above normal thanks to the same southern flow and warm air advection. Critical fire weather conditions are possible each afternoon as described below. As the low transitions, models are indicating some light precip possible over the higher terrain, mainly along and north of the I-70 Friday evening through Saturday morning.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1125 AM MDT Wed May 27 2026

VFR conditions will prevail through the TAF period. Mid level clouds are seen developing along the higher terrain, but high clouds will be the main feature painting the sky at the lower elevations through tomorrow. Winds are already gusting at some terminals and are forecast to continue through the afternoon. The highest gusts will fall within the 20-25kt range, with locally higher gusts possible. Eastern Utah terminals will likely see the highest gusts.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1213 PM MDT Wed May 27 2026

A deep closed low continues spinning off to our west and will tighten the surface pressure gradient. This will cause some gusty surface winds to form each afternoon through the end of the week. We will also be inviting a drier air mass into the region during the same time. Relative humidity will drop below 15%, particularly in eastern Utah and the Four Corners region. Red Flag Warnings remain in place today and the Fire Weather Watch for Thursday has also been upgraded to a Red Flag Warning. Similar conditions occur Friday so a Fire Weather Watch has also been issued for the same zones and time,Winds will begin to decrease through the weekend, which will decrease critical fire weather conditions.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for COZ207-290.

Red Flag Warning from 1 PM to 8 PM MDT Thursday for COZ207-290.

Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening for COZ207-290.

UT...Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for UTZ486-487- 490.

Red Flag Warning from 1 PM to 8 PM MDT Thursday for UTZ486-487- 490.

Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening for UTZ486-487-490.