656 FXUS65 KGJT 302327 AFDGJTArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 527 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Isolated mountain showers will continue this afternoon with scattered showers over northeast Utah this evening as a weak shortwave trough moves through.
- Warmer and drier conditions return Wednesday through Friday, with temperatures climbing to 5-10 degrees above normal.
- A low pressure system moves through Friday night into Saturday, bringing cooler and wetter conditions with more widespread wetting rain with some light mountain snow, before conditions dry out again early next week.
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 247 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025
Breezy afternoon winds have mixed down to the surface with gusts in the 20 to 35 mph range as a 60 kt jet streak associated with a weak shortwave trough tracks across the area. Showers have been isolated and very weak with limited forcing, more likely producing gusty winds than wetting rain due to drier low levels. Thunderstorm activity is more prevalent across northeast Utah over the western Uintas and western Tavaputs, just to the west of our CWA border. Expect this activity to become a bit more prevalent across northeast Utah later this afternoon into the early evening as this shortwave trough tracks over northeast Utah into northwest Colorado before exiting tonight. Hi res CAMs show convection lessening after sunset and ending by midnight. Better chances of wetting rain look to occur this evening with this activity over northeast Utah.
On Wednesday, drier conditions move in as a ridge of high pressure builds across the area and lifts this jet northward. Mostly sunny skies are expected on Wednesday with temperatures warming up a bit to around 5 degrees above normal. Also, with the jet north of the region, expect less wind than today due to a decreased pressure gradient.
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.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Issued at 247 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025
Brisk southwesterly flow returns to the region on Thursday. This comes ahead of a digging trough working its way ashore out west. Winds are expected to pick up Thursday and Friday, with high temperatures 10 degrees in excess of October climatology. Thursday remains a dry forecast, but some weak POP returns to the terrain of the Uintas and San Juans on Friday afternoon. This will be more isolated in nature before the best push of PWAT arrives Friday evening and early Saturday. Widespread showers and thunderstorms continue Friday night into Saturday as the front arrives early Saturday morning. This will keep afternoon highs suppressed and bring snow levels down to around 10000 feet. Mountain travelers, hunters, climbers, and leaf peepers are advised to stay abreast of local forecasts on Friday/Saturday as the front rolls through the region. Significant snow accumulations are not expected, but cold and wet conditions are likely to take the fun out of outdoor activity. Afternoon highs on Saturday and Sunday will trend around 15 degrees colder than Friday. Showers will linger north of I-70 Sunday, along with the San Juans and Uncompahgre Plateau. Southwesterly flow returns quickly in the progressive pattern that models are keen to. This will warm things back up on Monday and Tuesday to near normal conditions. Models keep the wave train rolling early next week, bringing some additional precipitation to the mountains Monday and Tuesday, as another digging low over the Great Basin sends additional Pacific moisture across the Four Corners.
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.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 527 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025
A system passing through northern Utah into northern Colorado will bring a threat of showers and thunderstorms through the evening. Wind gusts to 50 mph will be a threat with the strongest storms through the next few hours...however most gusts will be 40 mph or less. VFR will prevail with the storm simmering down after sunset and mainly clear and dry conditions expected for Wednesday.
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.GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CO...None. UT...None.
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SHORT TERM...MDA LONG TERM...LTB AVIATION...TGJT
NWS GJT Office Area Forecast Discussion