textproduct: Grand Junction

KEY MESSAGES

- Much colder temperatures move in today with below seasonable values lingering into Saturday.

- Well below zero temperatures expected in the Gunnison...Slate...East and Taylor River Valleys tonight.

- Dry and milder conditions return for next week.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 305 PM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

It will continue to feel more like January this weekend with cooler high temperatures than what we've seen for much of the winter season. With a much drier airmass moving in and clearing skies, temperatures will bottom out overnight and this means our typical cold pool areas that we have not seen much action from this winter should react to the influx of snow and cold air. Double-digit below zero readings are forecast for the Gunnison Basin and surrounding cold valleys. The forecast challenge will likely continue to be temperature based with the cold air in place and a strengthening inversion set up on the horizon. There could be some areas of low cloud and fog tomorrow morning as well, but dropping dew points make this a low confidence forecast at the moment.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 305 PM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

Ridging building over the West will drive a period of warm, quiet weather that will persist through the long term period. Moisture will remain well to our north until a reduction in the amplitude of the ridge allows for anomalous moisture to advect into the Northwest. An increase in the amplitude of the West Coast ridging, and a trough digging east of the Rockies, will allow for this anomalous moisture (max PWATs near 175% of normal) to advect into our higher terrain in northwesterly flow. So, this increases PoPs by a bit midweek in the northern mountains where orographic lift is favored in northwesterly flow. However, PoPs don't increase by much, and pretty much no accumulating snow is in the long term forecast right now. Of course, this could change depending on how the ridge to our west and trough to our east ends up developing. Otherwise, temperatures will warm to around 10 degrees above normal for the majority of the workweek.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 451 PM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

Breezy north to northwest winds will continue until sunset with light terrain driven winds overnight. CIGS will continue to be near ILS breakpoints at KASE and some higher elevations until skies scatter out this evening and eventually clear by Saturday morning as drier air continues to move in. KGUC and KDRO may develop some fog or low stratus overnight into Saturday morning with snow on the ground. Fog development will be limited elsewhere due to the drier air. Outside of the potential fog development at KGUC and KDRO, conditions should remain VFR over the next 24 hours.

GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CO...None. UT...None.