120  
FXUS65 KGJT 241137  
AFDGJT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO  
537 AM MDT THU OCT 24 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- A FRONT DROPPING INTO THE REGION THIS MORNING WILL BRING MUCH  
COOLER TEMPERATURES NORTHERN PORTIONS OF UTAH AND COLORADO  
TODAY. THIS COULD LEAD TO LOWS POTENTIALLY DROPPING BELOW  
FREEZING IN MANY AREAS OF THE NORTH BY TOMORROW MORNING. A  
FREEZE WATCH IS IN EFFECT THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.  
 
- MOSTLY DRY AND MILD WEATHER WILL THEN PERSISTS THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND, WITH TEMPERATURES RUNNING 5-10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.  
 
- THE NEXT CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WITH VALLEY RAIN  
AND MOUNTAIN SNOW LOOKS POSSIBLE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH MUCH  
COOLER TEMPERATURES TO CLOSE OUT THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT THU OCT 24 2024  
 
AN OPEN WAVE IS MOVING INTO W.WYOMING THIS MORNING WITH A  
TRAILING COLD FRONT HAND ANALYZED ACROSS THE UTAH PANHANDLE.  
THIS WAVE WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS THE ROCKIES TO THE HIGH PLAINS  
THIS MORNING LAYING THE FRONT ACROSS OUR NORTHERN ZONES WHERE IT  
WILL EVENTUALLY STALL AND WASH OUT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS  
CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM COULD BRING A QUICK SHOWER TO OUR FAR  
NORTHERN CWA THROUGH THE MORNING BUT A PROLONGED OR DEEP  
SATURATED DENDRITIC LAYER IS NOT INDICATED BY HREF SOUNDINGS.  
THE MORE NOTICEABLE THING WILL BE MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES TODAY  
OVER THE NORTHERN VALLEYS WHERE HIGHS LOOK TO BE SOME 8 TO 16  
DEGREES COOLER THAN YESTERDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO A COLD NIGHT  
AS WINDS DIE OFF UNDER CLEAR SKIES. HEIGHTS BEGIN TO INCREASE  
OVERNIGHT AND BROAD RIDGING WILL SETTLE INTO PLACE TO END OUT  
THE WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL REBOUND UNDER MAINLY SUNNY SKIES ON  
FRIDAY WITH HIGHS REACHING 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR MOST  
AREAS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT THU OCT 24 2024  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN CENTERED OVER THE BAJA PENINSULA  
KEEPING LIGHT SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE REGION AND WILL  
BUMP UP DAYTIME HIGHS A FEW DEGREES...A BIT MORE FOR THE  
NORTHERN VALLEYS. MORE SUN THAN CLOUDS WILL BE THE RULE THOUGH A  
WEAK UPPER LEVEL WAVE MAY BRING SOME HIGH CLOUDS FOR THE  
NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA SATURDAY MORNING. HEADING INTO SUNDAY,  
A ROBUST UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE  
INTO THE PACNW. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK WILL BE  
SUPPORTING THE TROUGH AND WILL CAUSE AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS  
STARTING SATURDAY EVENING, WELL AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM. WARM  
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE SUNDAY THOUGH SKIES WILL BECOME MORE  
PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY AS MOISTURE STARTS TO INCREASE.  
 
BY MONDAY MORNING, THE TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL BE  
MOVING THROUGH WA STATE AND OREGON. AS WE TEND TO SEE IN THESE  
FALL STORMS, THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND STRONGER UPPER LEVEL  
WINDS WILL ALLOW SOME GUSTY WINDS TO MATERIALIZE AT THE SURFACE  
MONDAY WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH EXPECTED. SOME PRECIP WILL  
START FALLING OVERSPREADING THE AREA MONDAY EVENING WITH THE SAN  
JUANS AND SOUTHERN VALLEYS FAVORED. COVERAGE INCREASES  
OVERNIGHT AND AS THE FRONT AND BEST UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT MOVE  
ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY MORNING, THIS IS WHEN WE CAN EXPECT TO  
SEE THE HEAVIEST PRECIP. BY TUESDAY EVENING, THE UPPER LEVEL  
SUPPORT RACES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST WITH PRECIP BECOMING LIGHT  
ACROSS THE AREA EXCEPT THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS WHICH  
WILL REMAIN UNDER THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE EXITING JET  
AND THUS, A BIT MORE AVAILABLE LIFT. WE'RE NOT DONE YET THOUGH  
AS ANOTHER SHOT OF COLD AIR MOVES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST  
WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS FEATURE DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH MOISTURE  
ASSOCIATED WITH IT AS THE PREVIOUS STORM BUT WE'LL STILL SEE  
SOME PRECIP.  
 
AS FAR AS PRECIP TYPE IS CONCERNED SNOW LEVELS WILL SET UP  
AROUND 9K FEET, GIVE OR TAKE, WITH SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW  
POSSIBLE EARLY TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY. THIS  
FAR OUT, WE'LL SEE HOW THINGS PAN OUT.  
 
HIGH TEMPS WILL START OUT ABOVE NORMAL, DROP TO SEASONAL VALUES  
BY MONDAY, AND THEN BELOW TUESDAY ONWARDS. LOWS WILL BE  
FLIRTING WITH FREEZING VALUES WEDNESDAY MORNING AND POSSIBLY  
COLDER STILL THURSDAY MORNING. LOOKS LIKE FALL HAS RETURNED FOR  
A BIT. THE QUESTION IS IF IT'LL STICK AROUND THIS TIME.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 536 AM MDT THU OCT 24 2024  
 
A COLD FRONT WILL DROP THROUGH NORTHERN PORTIONS OF UTAH AND  
COLORADO THIS MORNING...BRINGING AN INCREASE IN MID TO HIGH  
LEVEL CLOUDS AND POSSIBLY SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS THROUGH ABOUT  
MID DAY. IMPACTS LOOK TO BE MINIMAL AT LOCAL TAF SITES BUT  
TERRAIN OBSCURATION IS POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS FOR  
A FEW HOURS THIS MORNING. STRONGER WINDS ALOFT WILL BRING  
LOCALIZED AREA OVER LLWS WHICH AFTER MIXING OCCURS WITH THE  
FRONT...BRING GUSTY WINDS TO THE SURFACE. OVERALL HOWEVER VFR  
WILL PREVAIL OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  
 

 
   
GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
CO...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR  
COZ001-002-005.  
UT...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...15  
LONG TERM...TGR  
AVIATION...TGJT  
 
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