972
FXUS65 KGJT 232325
AFDGJT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
525 PM MDT THU APR 23 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- TONIGHT WILL BE COLD WITH A FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM
TO 8 AM FOR THE VALLEYS OF NORTHWESTERN COLORADO AND IN THE
FOUR CORNERS AREA IN SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO.
- EXPECT AFTERNOON WIND GUSTS OF 20 TO 30 MPH DAILY THROUGH THE
COMING WEEK.
- FRIDAY WILL SEE DRY CONDITIONS AND STRONGER WINDS ACROSS THE
REGION WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE IN NORTHWESTERN COLORADO
WHERE A RED FLAG WARNING IS ACTIVE FROM NOON TO 9 PM.
- WIDESPREAD RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW RETURNS SATURDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SUNDAY. COOLER AND UNSETTLED WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH
MID NEXT WEEK
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 116 PM MDT THU APR 23 2026
THE SATELLITE IMAGERY THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT BROUGHT US THE
WEATHER AND STRONG WINDS YESTERDAY IS SETTLING IN OVER ALBERTA AND
SASKATCHEWAN WHERE THE MODELS WANT TO PARK IT FOR THE NEXT FIVE TO
SEVEN DAYS TO KEEP A LONGWAVE TROUGH IN PLACE ACROSS THE WESTERN
STATES. THIS WILL KEEP UNSETTLED WEATHER IN THE FORECAST FOR EASTERN
UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO THROUGH THIS PERIOD AS SHORTWAVE
DISTURBANCES TRANSIT THROUGH THE PATTERN. IN THIS PATTERN, THE
REGION IS UNDER A DRY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT THAT WILL KEEP AFTERNOON
WINDS ON THE BREEZY SIDE WITH GUSTS 20 TO 35 MPH. ADDITIONALLY, HIGH
PRESSURE/RIDGING IS SETTING UP OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST EXTENDING
UP INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA THAT WILL KEEP LOW PRESSURE/TROUGHING OFF
THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST THAT WILL ACT TO PULL MOISTURE OFF THE
EASTERN PACIFIC INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND THE GREAT BASIN THAT
WILL EVENTUALLY WORK ITS WAY INTO THE REGION BRINGING WELCOMED RAIN
AND MOUNTAIN SNOW.
THE FIRST OF A NUMBER OF SHORTWAVES PASSES TO THE NORTH TOMORROW
PRODUCING STRONGER WINDS 20-30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH GENERALLY
NORTH OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR. THIS COMBINED WITH THE DRY AIRMASS IN
PLACE AND THE CRITICALLY DRY HEAVY FUELS IN NORTHWESTERN COLORADO IS
RESULTING IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THIS AREA TOMORROW
AFTERNOON WHERE A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN PLACE FROM NOON TO 9 PM
FRIDAY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 200 AND 202. THIS IS THE FIRE WEATHER
SEASON SO TAKE EXTRA CARE IF YOU ARE OUT CAMPING OR PLAYING IN THE
FORESTS, OR DOING AGRICULTURAL BURNING EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE
RED FLAG ZONES. THE DRY AIR OVER THE REGION WILL PROMOTE OVERNIGHT
COOLING UNDER THE CLEAR SKIES IS LEADING TO ANOTHER NIGHT OF
FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN NORTHWESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO
TONIGHT. A FREEZE WARNING IS IN PLACE FROM 2 AM THROUGH TOMORROW 8
AM TOMORROW FOR NORTHWESTERN COLORADO IN THE CENTRAL AND LOWER YAMPA
RIVER BASINS, AND ALONG THE I-70 CORRIDOR FROM DE BEQUE EAST THROUGH
THE CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN. THIS FREEZE WARNING IS ALSO IN
PLACE FOR SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO IN THE ANIMAS RIVER BASIN, THE FOUR
CORNERS AREA/UPPER DOLORES RIVER BASIN AND THE SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN.
MOISTURE RETURNS SATURDAY ONWARD:
BY SATURDAY THE LOW PRESSURE OFF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL START
PUMPING MOIST AIR INTO THE REGION. THIS MOISTURE WITH A STRONGER
PASSING DISTURBANCE WILL BRING WIDESPREAD RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TO
THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH UP TO A QUARTER
INCH RAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE LOWER VALLEYS TO OVER A HALF INCH OR
MORE PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HIGHER VALLEYS.
CONTINUED PASSING DISTURBANCES WILL BRING YET MORE SHOWERS
ALMOST DAILY TO THE REGION THROUGH THE REST OF NEXT WEEK.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/
ISSUED AT 522 PM MDT THU APR 23 2026
GUSTS CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON, BUT ARE BEGINNING TO WEAKEN, WITH
THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END BY 9 PM. LIGHTER
WINDS PREVAIL THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT BEFORE STRONG GUSTS RETURN
TOMORROW AS EARLY AS 11 AM. LOOK FOR TERMINALS TO SEE THESE
GUSTS REACH 20-35 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE, VFR
CONDITIONS DOMINATE THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 116 PM MDT THU APR 23 2026
VERY DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE ACROSS EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN
COLORADO THROUGH FRIDAY. DUE TO CRITICALLY DRY HEAVY FUELS IN
NORTHWESTERN COLORADO AND STRONGER WINDS FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS
TO 45 MPH, A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES
201 AND 202 FROM NOON THROUGH 9 PM. MOISTURE MOVING INTO THE REGION
SATURDAY ONWARDS INCREASING RELATIVE HUMIDITY THROUGH THE COMING
WEEK WILL LIMIT THE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
CO...FREEZE WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM MDT FRIDAY FOR COZ001-002-007-
008-021>023.
RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT FRIDAY FOR COZ200-202.
UT...NONE.
DISCUSSION...DB
AVIATION...TGJT
FIRE WEATHER...DB
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