


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Grand Junction, CO
Issued by NWS Grand Junction, CO
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217 FXUS65 KGJT 040013 AFDGJT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 613 PM MDT Fri Oct 3 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Breezy southwesterly winds with gusts of 30-40 mph are occurring today and expected tomorrow. - Showers and storms associated with the approaching low pressure have begun over the higher terrain today, and will become widespread by tomorrow morning. Light snow is possible above 9k feet. - Temperatures drop below normal tomorrow and Sunday, then rebound to near normal values Monday as warmer and more seasonable conditions return. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 246 PM MDT Fri Oct 3 2025 Showers and some thunderstorms have begun, primarily in the southern half of the CWA, where moisture is beginning to advect into the region ahead of the incoming low pressure system. Water vapor satellite imagery shows that the low pressure system is currently centered over California. As the low moves across the Intermountain West overnight, bringing increasing amounts of upper level support to the region, PoPs will increase across most of the CWA. The moisture transport associated with this system will elevate PWAT values to above 200% of normal in some areas. Given the abundance of moisture and sufficient forcing, widespread rain is expected overnight tonight and tomorrow morning. Snow is possible above 9kft, but really only an inch or two is expected at most. Perhaps a few very localized areas may see a bit more. Once the system moves east of the Rockies tomorrow night dry air moves in from the southwest. So, PoPs will decrease from southwest to northeast through the day Saturday as both upper level support and moisture decrease. Gusty winds are ongoing this afternoon, partially from mixing with stronger winds aloft, but also from strong wind gusts associated with showers and thunderstorms. Tomorrow synoptically driven wind gusts of up to 30 to 40 mph are possible, potentially even greater in some areas, especially southwest Colorado where Wind Advisories are in effect from 10 AM to 5 PM MDT tomorrow. A cold front moves across the region during the day tomorrow, dropping high temperatures significantly. Today high temperatures will be about 10 degrees above normal, but highs will drop down to around 5 degrees below normal tomorrow, a decrease of nearly 15 degrees for many locations. Overnight low temperatures tonight into tomorrow will be much warmer than Saturday night into Sunday. This is a result of drier air clearing cloud cover Saturday night for all but the northern border of our CWA. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Issued at 246 PM MDT Fri Oct 3 2025 The long term period will start out with a long wave trough draped across much of the Intermountain West. The best support will remain over Wyoming, Idaho and Montana so while there will be a slim chance for a few isolated showers over the northern mountains, quiet conditions will be the rule. Upper level support will then shift to the Plains which will cause the trough to remain in place. Eventually, a closed low will form in the base of the trough, Monday into Tuesday. By Wednesday, the system will start tracking eastward causing flow to become more southwesterly. While available moisture to the south will be entrained by this flow and bring increasing chances for precipitation, especially over the San Juans up into the central mountains. Finally, Wednesday into Thursday the now open wave to our west will move through the area bringing some isolated chances for precip across the CWA. PWATs will remain at or below normal, thus those isolated chances. High temps will be a few degrees above normal for the most part. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 557 PM MDT Fri Oct 3 2025 Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are moving to the northeast across the region. Look for these storms to increase in coverage through the overnight becoming widespread across the higher terrain in the region by 12Z. Gusty south to southwest winds will increase through the evening and overnight hours generally gusting 20-30 kts, but with convective activity, expect gusts over 45 kts possible near passing storms. Most TAF sites will see Low-Level Wind Shear from about 03Z through about 17Z. Mountain TAF sites will see periods below ILS breakpoints mostly due to low ceilings with these storms. These showers and thunderstorms will diminish southwest to northeast after 15Z moving out of the region to the northeast by about 00Z Sunday. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...Wind Advisory from 10 AM to 5 PM MDT Saturday for COZ020-021. UT...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...GF LONG TERM...TGR AVIATION...DB