The FIRST WARN 8 WEATHER TEAM is tracking a strong, wintery storm system that will impact the Western Slope Friday-Sunday. Here are the latest warnings, watches & advisories from the National Weather Service in Grand Junction: INCREASING WIND TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY... ...SNOW AND MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... A VIGOROUS PACIFIC STORM WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN TONIGHT DRIVING A COLD FRONT TO NORTHEAST UTAH BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE MOVING NORTHEASTWARD AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO GENERATE SNOW OVER THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT AT OR ABOVE 8500 FEET. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PRODUCE GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH OVER HIGH EXPOSED TERRAIN AND IN THE YAMPA RIVER BASIN OF NORTHWEST COLORADO. PERIODS OF SNOW...ALONG WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT WITH NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE IN THE EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS AND THE SAN JUAN...ELK...AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE GRAND MESA. AS THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH ALL OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO FRIDAY NIGHT...SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER INTO MOST VALLEYS ON SATURDAY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS MAY BE FORTHCOMING AS DETAILS EMERGE ON THIS STRONG EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM. FRIGID TEMPERATURES ARE IN STORE FOR MONDAY INTO TUESDAY.
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A WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 6 AM MST SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS -WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS -NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS -SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ... INCLUDING THE CITIES OF SKYWAY POINT (GRAND MESA), CRESTED BUTTE, TAYLOR PARK, MARBLE, OURAY, ELLURIDE, LAKE CITY, SILVERTON, RICO & HESPERUS THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED AWINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 6 AM MST SUNDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * TIMING...6 AM MST FRIDAY THROUGH 6 AM SUNDAY. * SNOW ACCUMULATION...10 TO 20 INCHES. * SNOW LEVEL...AROUND 9500 FEET INITIALLY...LOWERING TO THE SURROUNDING VALLEYS BY SATURDAY MORNING. * WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH LATE TONIGHT...INCREASING TO BETWEEN 20 AND 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...THEN DECREASING TO 10 TO 20 MPH ON SATURDAY. * VISIBILITY...PERIODS OF WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. OTHERWISE...EXPECT VISIBILITY BELOW 2 MILES IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AT TIMES. * IMPACTS...TRAVEL IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS MAY BE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO ICY AND SNOW PACKED ROADS...ESPECIALLY OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES. STRONG WINDS MAY CREATE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
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A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 6 AM MST SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS... -UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE -LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS (UTAH) ... INCLUDING THE CITIES OF RIDGWAY, GLADE PARK, MONTICELLO (UT) AND VICINITY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED AWINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO 6 AM MST SUNDAY. * TIMING...6 AM MST FRIDAY TO 6 AM SUNDAY. * SNOW ACCUMULATION...4 TO 8 INCHES. * SNOW LEVEL...AROUND 9000 FEET ON FRIDAY LOWERING INTO THE SURROUNDING VALLEYS BY SATURDAY MORNING. * WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...THEN DECREASING TO 10 TO 20 MPH ON SATURDAY. * VISIBILITY...LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES IN BLOWING SNOW. * IMPACTS...MOUNTAIN TRAVEL MAY BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES DUE TO ICY AND SNOW PACKED ROADS...ESPECIALLY OVER DALLAS DIVIDE. STRONG WINDS MAY CREATE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
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A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS...
-ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS -GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS -FLATTOPS ...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF COLUMBINE, TOPONAS, ASPEN, VAIL, SNOWMASS, BUFORD, AND TRAPPERS LAKE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED AWINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. * TIMING...6 PM FRIDAY THROUGH 6 AM SUNDAY * SNOW ACCUMULATION...AROUND A FOOT OF SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE * SNOW LEVEL...INITIALLY AROUND 8500 FEET DROPPING INTO THE VALLEYS FRIDAY NIGHT. * WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THEN DECREASING TO 10 TO 20 MPH ON SATURDAY. * VISIBILITY...LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES IN BLOWING SNOW. * IMPACTS...MOUNTAIN TRAVEL MAY BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES DUE TO ICY AND SNOW PACKED ROADS...ESPECIALLY OVER RABBIT EARS PASS. STRONG WINDS MAY CREATE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND/OR BLOWING SNOW THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
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The First Warn 8 Weather Team is tracking this storm and our latest forecast can be found here:
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