841
FXUS65 KGJT 251939
AFDGJT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
139 PM MDT SAT APR 25 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WIDESPREAD RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW RETURNS THIS EVENING
THROUGH EARLY MONDAY AS A PACIFIC SYSTEM WORKS ACROSS THE
ROCKIES.
- WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT
THROUGH MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT FOR SOME MOUNTAIN AREAS ABOVE
9,000 FEET. TRAVEL OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES MAY BECOME DIFFICULT
DURING THE NIGHTTIME HOURS.
- THE COOLER AND UNSETTLED WEATHER PERSISTS THROUGH THE WORK
WEEK AND POSSIBLY INTO NEXT WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 124 PM MDT SAT APR 25 2026
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION THIS WEEKEND:
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF OF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA IS
SUPPORTING MOISTURE ADVECTION ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST. THE BULK OF
THE INCREASED MOISTURE IS JUST APPROACHING THE FOUR CORNERS
REGION, AND WILL SPREAD OVER OUR CWA TONIGHT. RADAR IMAGERY
SHOWS SOME ACTIVITY BEGINNING NORTH OF I-70, BUT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
SHOW THAT MOST OF THIS IS VIRGA. THE 18Z GJT SOUNDING SHOWS
VERY DRY SURFACE CONDITIONS, WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE VIRGA
OBSERVATIONS. AS MOISTURE INCREASES AND ENERGY FROM THE LOW
REACHES OUR AREA, SHOWER COVERAGE WILL INCREASE, BECOMING
WIDESPREAD THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT. THIS WILL
RESULT IN VALLEY RAIN SHOWERS/AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS AND
MEASURABLE SNOW AT HIGH ELEVATIONS. MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL PICKS UP
AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, BUT THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO
OCCUR SUNDAY MORNING. IMPACTS FROM SNOW ARE MOSTLY EXPECTED
ABOVE 9,000 FEET, ALTHOUGH THE WARMER TEMPERATURES ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS SYSTEM ALLOW FOR SOME UNCERTAINTY REGARDING HOW MUCH
SNOW WILL STICK, ESPECIALLY ON ROADWAYS AND DURING DAYLIGHT
HOURS. NONETHELESS, WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED
FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT ABOVE 9,000
FEET FOR THE FLAT TOPS, SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, GRAND AND
BATTLEMENT MESAS, AND WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS.
LINGERING MOUNTAIN SNOW AND COOLER TEMPERATURES:
AFTER THIS SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH LIGHT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL WILL BE
POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WORKWEEK, WITH A LULL EXPECTED MIDWEEK. THIS
PERSISTENT SNOWFALL IS THANKS TO SOME WEAKLY ELEVATED MOISTURE
AMOUNTS AND A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH OUR AREA.
TEMPERATURES DROP ON SUNDAY AS THE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH, LEADING
TO DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL. BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE UNTIL THE MIDWEEK WHEN A SLIGHT WARMUP
BRINGS HIGHS BACK TO NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/
ISSUED AT 1135 AM MDT SAT APR 25 2026
MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL TRAVERSE THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE
DAY. VIRGA OR VERY LIGHT SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES TODAY.
WINDS WILL BE GUSTING AGAIN TODAY INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS,
WITH VALUES IN THE 20-30 KT RANGE. WINDS BEGIN TO DECREASE IN
MAGNITUDE AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO NIGHTFALL.
FOR TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING, LOW TO MID LEVEL CLOUDS AND
LIGHT SHOWERS WILL BEGIN TO MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
PRECIPITATION CHANCES INCREASE AT ALL TERMINALS THROUGH THE
NIGHT. CIGS WILL BE DROPPING BELOW ILS BREAKPOINTS AT THE
MOUNTAIN TERMINALS. OTHER TERMINALS ALSO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY TO
DROP BELOW THOSE BREAKPOINTS AS WELL. MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE DUE TO THE LOWERING CIGS AND DECREASED VISIBILITY WHERE
THERE IS ACTIVE SHOWER ACTIVITY.
GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
CO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT MDT
SUNDAY NIGHT FOR COZ009-012-013-019.
UT...NONE.
DISCUSSION...TGJT
AVIATION...TGJT
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