769
FXUS65 KGJT 282317
AFDGJT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
417 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A FEW INCHES OF SNOW IS ON TAP FOR THE NORTHERN COLORADO
MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. SLIPPERY STRETCHES WILL
DEVELOP OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES.
- WARMING DAYS, COOL NIGHTS WITH DRY WEATHER PERSIST THROUGH
THE WEEKEND FOR MOST OF THE REGION.
- A PATTERN CHANGE IS POSSIBLE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE RIDGE TO
THE WEST BREAKING DOWN.
SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 225 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SATELLITE
IMAGERY PLACING THE QUICK-MOVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER NORTHERN
UTAH. THOUGH THE UPPER-LEVEL DYNAMICS WITH THIS SYSTEM PUSHES
THROUGH THE CENTRAL COLORADO MOUNTAINS, THERE ISN'T MUCH MOISTURE
FOR IT TO ACT UPON WITH THE MOISTURE STAYING WELL TO THE NORTH
RESTRICTING THE LIMITED IMPACTS TO MAINLY THE PARK RANGE AND HWY-40
OVER RABBIT EARS PASS WHERE FOUR TO EIGHT INCHES SNOW ACCUMULATION
IS POSSIBLE. LOOK FOR THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THE EVENING
AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND TROUGH
PASSAGE. OROGRAPHIC SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH THE MORNING AND
AFTERNOON THURSDAY, ENDING BY EVENING. FARTHER SOUTH ALONG THE I-70
CORRIDOR, LITTLE SNOW IS LIKELY, BUT CAN'T RULE OUT ZERO TO TWO
INCHES SNOW AND SOME SLICK SPOTS ON VAIL PASS. ALLOW EXTRA TRAVEL
TIME TONIGHT IF YOU NEED TO DRIVE IN THESE AREAS. ELSEWHERE SKIES
WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR WITH DRY WEATHER. THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW
BEHIND THE TROUGH WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES A BIT ON THE COOL SIDE WITH
MORNING LOWS RUNNING A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL AND THE DAYTIME HIGHS
ABOUT FIVE DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR LATE JANUARY.
LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 225 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
A PAIR OF WEAKER SHORTWAVE TROUGHS ADVECT THROUGH THE NORTHWESTERLY
FLOW, ONE ON FRIDAY AND ONE EARLY SATURDAY. LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ARE
LIKELY OVER THE NORTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH,
BUT IMPACTFUL ACCUMULATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. OTHERWISE, WARM DAYS,
COOL NIGHTS, AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL BE MAINSTAYS THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.
A PATTERN SHIFT IS POSSIBLE NEXT WEEK AS THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM
OVER THE WESTERN CONUS BREAKS DOWN. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM COULD
BRING PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION IN ITS WAKE, BUT THE DETAILS ARE
STILL UNCLEAR AT THIS TIME. HOW STRONG WILL IT BE? WHERE WILL IT
TRACK? HOW MUCH MOISTURE WILL IT BRING? STAY TUNED...
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 417 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
A QUICK MOVING SYSTEM MOVING ALONG THE CO/WY BORDER WILL SPREAD
MID LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS THE LOWER VALLEYS AND SNOW ACROSS THE
HIGHER VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS OF THE NORTH OVERNIGHT INTO
THURSDAY MORNING. KHDN HAS THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF MVFR OR
BELOW CONDITIONS WITH LOWER CIGS AND LIGHT SNOW THIS EVENING AND
KASE COULD SEE ILS/MVFR CIGS AS THE MOISTURE WORKS THROUGH.
OTHERWISE VFR IS EXPECTED MOST AREAS UNDER LIGHT WIND
CONDITIONS.
GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
CO...NONE.
UT...NONE.
SHORT TERM...DB
LONG TERM...KAA
AVIATION...TGJT
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