WINTER STORM WARNINGS & ADVISORIES FOR THE HIGH COUNTRY

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 A
WINTER 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WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.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 A
WINTER 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 A
WINTER 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:

http://www.kjct8.com/weather