114
FXUS65 KGJT 182326
AFDGJT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
526 PM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ANOTHER ROUND OF BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST FOR
MANY OF THE VALLEYS TONIGHT.
- A PUSH OF MOISTURE AND WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO
AFTERNOON SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THE CENTRAL
AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO MONDAY INTO TUESDAY.
- GUSTY WINDS WILL BE A POTENTIAL HAZARD WEDNESDAY AS THE NEXT
UPSTREAM SYSTEM APPROACHES AND BRINGS A CHANGE TO END OUT THE
WEEK.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 1213 PM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
WIDESPREAD HARD FREEZE CONDITIONS DEVELOPED OVERNIGHT IN THE
WAKE OF YESTERDAY'S COLD FRONT AND NEW SNOWFALL. TEMPERATURES
HAVE PUSHED BACK ABOVE FREEZING LATE THIS MORNING AS WE HEAD FOR
A COOLER THAN NORMAL DAY. THE COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH HERE
YESTERDAY CONTINUES TO PLUMMET TOWARDS THE GULF COAST OF TEXAS
WHICH IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE...AND WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR US
EARLY NEXT WEEK. ANOTHER COLD NIGHT IS IN STORE BEFORE WARMER
AIR STARTS TO FILTER IN LATER ON SUNDAY. FREEZE WARNINGS ARE IN
EFFECT IN A MAJORITY OF THE SAME AREAS AS LAST NIGHT WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF THE LOWER DESERT VALLEYS. THERE COULD STILL BE
POCKETS NEAR TO BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN THE
MICRO-CLIMATE ACROSS THESE ZONES SO STAY VIGILANT IF PLANTS OR
PLUMBING NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED. THE BIGGER PICTURE SHOWS
RIDGING OVER THE WEST STUCK BETWEEN ANOMALOUS TROUGHS OVER THE
MIDWEST AND E.PACIFIC. THE RIDGE WILL DOMINATE OUR WEATHER
THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE UPSTREAM CLOSED LOW LINGERS OFF
THE WEST COAST. THIS MEANS A RETURN TO A WARMER TEMPERATURE
REGIME THROUGH MIDWEEK. MOST AREAS REMAIN DRY BUT THE
AFORMENTIONED COLD FRONT/PLAINS HIGH PRESSURE STRONG ENOUGH
THAT IT WILL PUSH A PLUME OF RETURN MOISTURE NORTHWARD INTO THE
4 CORNERS REGION LATE TOMORROW. THIS MOSITURE LINGERS OVER THE
AREA MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND LOOKS TO BRING ISOLATED TO WIDELY
SCATTERED AFTERNOON MOUNTAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THE
HEATING PROMOTES CONVECTION. WEDNESDAY WILL BE THE TRANSITION
DAY AS WHICH MEANS WIND THIS TIME OF YEAR AND IF TRENDS CONTINUE
WIND GUSTS COULD BE IMPACTFUL. THE UPSTREAM LOW MARCHES ACROSS
THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST TO THE NORTHERN PLAINS TO END OUT THE
WEEK AND USHER IN A COOLER AND WETTER WEATHER PATTERN.
TEMPERATURES LOOK TO SETTLE BACK CLOSER TO OR SLIGHTLY BELOW
NORMAL WITH MORE HIGH ELEVATION SNOW FOR THE NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. IMPACTS FOR THIS LATE
WEEK EVENT LOOK TO BE MORE BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES FOR THE
HIGHER VALLEYS AND TEMPORARY WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS OVER SOME
OF THE PASSES.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/
ISSUED AT 523 PM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS WILL
BE GENERALLY LIGHT AND TERRAIN DRIVEN. MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS
WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE EVENING BUT NOTHING OF CONCERN.
GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
CO...FREEZE WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MDT SUNDAY FOR
COZ001-002-007-008-011-020>023.
FREEZE WATCH FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR
COZ002-008.
UT...FREEZE WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MDT SUNDAY FOR
UTZ024.
DISCUSSION...TGJT
AVIATION...TGJT
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