Canadian cold sets up for a long stay in Colorado

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - The chill gripping the Western Slope is not in a hurry to exit. There will be some small ups and downs in our temperatures, but even the ups won’t offer any appreciable warming.

Staying Warm Effectively & Safely

Remember that wearing several warm layers of clothing topped with a heavy winter coat is the best way to keep warm. It’s much more effective than just a heavy coat, particularly if you have to spend long periods of time out in the cold. Also be especially cautious if you use space heaters. They need at least three feet of space all the way around, including behind them. Space heaters are a leading cause of house fires during the cold season.

Our Next 24 Hours

This evening will be clear and chilly. Sunset is at 5:01 PM. Last light is at 5:28 PM. We’ll cool from mid-30s around 6 PM to near 30 degrees by 8 PM. The rest of tonight will be clear and cold. Low temperatures will be near 18 degrees around Grand Junction, 12 degrees around Montrose, 14 degrees around Delta, and 10 degrees around Cortez. Wednesday will be sunny and chilly. After the day starts in the teens, we’ll warm into the 30s in the afternoon. High temperatures will be near 39 degrees around Grand Junction, 35 degrees around Montrose, 39 degrees around Delta, and 42 degrees around Cortez.

Warming... Eventually

Long-range forecast trends beyond the scope of the 7 Day Forecast show a strong favorability for continued cold in the 6-10 day range. In other words, we’re likely staying cold through at least November 25. Then a change happens that favors above-normal temperatures as November comes to a close. Normal is defined as the average over the past thirty years: 52 degrees for the high and 28 degrees for the low at Grand Junction as of November 15. Remember that normal changes over time, and it will range from 3-5 degrees lower by the time we reach our 6-10 day period and 5-8 degrees lower in the 8-14 day outlook.

Our Next Weather Maker

What about rain and snow? We could still use some moisture. Nothing looks promising through next Tuesday. Strong north-to-south wind flow from Canada to Colorado keeps things dry, even with several small disturbances embedded within that flow. A west-to-east flow off of the Pacific would offer a better shot at moisture. That could become a player next week. We already see signs of increasing moisture aloft that should translate to more clouds by next Monday and especially Tuesday. By next Wednesday, there’s a signal in the forecast data for some rain. That signal isn’t a strong one, but it’s the next chance we have to get some moisture.

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