Grand Junction and surrounding valleys are set for unseasonably warm and mostly dry conditions through the middle of the week, with temperatures reaching the low-to-mid 80s by Wednesday afternoon. However, residents should prepare for a significant shift in weather patterns beginning this weekend, with potential for more widespread rain and mountain snow.
Wednesday is expected to be mostly sunny across the Grand Valley. While stray showers are possible, they are mainly anticipated over the mountains. Temperatures will climb from the mid-to-upper 50s around 7 AM to the low-to-mid 70s by noon. By 4 PM, afternoon highs are projected to reach the upper 70s and low-to-mid 80s. Forecasters indicate that high temperatures will be near 84 degrees around Grand Junction, 78 degrees around Montrose, 83 degrees around Delta, 78 degrees around Cortez, and 86 degrees around Moab. Morning low temperatures will be near 57 degrees around Grand Junction, 50 degrees around Montrose, 53 degrees around Delta, 49 degrees around Cortez, and 59 degrees around Moab.
Mountain showers and thunderstorms are expected to fade by midnight tonight. The rest of the night will be partly cloudy, extending even to the valleys. Scattered showers will re-form over the mountains again on Wednesday afternoon. While it's possible one or two showers might stray away from the mountains into the valleys, most valley residents are expected to remain dry. According to the outlook, those who receive rain will be among "the lucky few."
The forecast indicates a drastic change for the weekend. Rain and mountain snow anticipated this weekend may be a more significant event than the isolated mountain showers seen earlier in the week. A few showers could begin as early as Saturday, particularly in the afternoon and evening hours. However, forecasters expect Saturday's showers to be scarce.
Rainfall could increase Saturday night and continue into Sunday. While some dry breaks are expected, more on-and-off rain is possible on Monday. Forecasters are giving residents a heads-up to plan around the weather if necessary, but caution that this long-range forecast still carries a significant amount of uncertainty and is likely to change. Despite the uncertainty, the current outlook suggests a potential for "disruptive weather" in the area from Sunday through Monday, with possibilities extending into Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
