Excessive Heat Watch issued for dangerous heat on Friday and Saturday

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - An Excessive Heat Watch is in effect for Grand Junction and the rest of the Grand Valley effective from Noon Friday until 8 PM Saturday. High temperatures will range from 102 to 106 degrees across the Grand Valley on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Limited cooling at night and in the morning will decrease overnight recovery and increase heat stress. Dangerous heat in the afternoons can cause heat illness such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Make sure you are well hydrated and are eating well. Limit your time outdoors as much as possible. If you have to be outside, take frequent cool breaks. Make sure outdoor pets have shade and cool water and plenty of food. Yes, extreme happens every year. People also die from it every year. Heat is the number one weather-related cause of death. This is why we make a big deal about it.

This Excessive Heat Watch will likely be upgraded to an Excessive Heat Warning.

Our Next 24 Hours

This evening will be partly cloudy very warm. We’ll cool from near or just below 100 degrees through the 90s and into the 80s by 9 PM. Any showers or thunderstorms will be over the higher terrain. The rest of tonight will be mostly clear. Low temperatures will be near 69 degrees around Grand Junction and 64 degrees around Montrose. Thursday will be mostly sunny to partly cloudy and hot. High temperatures will be near 101 degrees around Grand Junction and 97 degrees around Montrose. Showers and thunderstorms will be scarce and primarily limited to the mountains.

We Turn Hotter Before Things Get Better

The hottest part of the present heat wave will be on Friday and Saturday. That’s when our high temperatures are high enough to be dangerous - 102 to 106 degrees in the Grand Valley including Grand Junction.

Small Cooling Starts Sunday

Noticeable cooling happens on Sunday. We’ll still be warm, but we’ll be seasonable rather than challenging record highs in the triple digits. That means mid-90s from Sunday through Wednesday. Spotty to scattered showers and thunderstorms will help further tame the heat.

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