Next major snowfall event arrives Monday

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) -

Weather Alerts:

Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect for the following:

• Lower Yampa River Basin-Central Yampa River Basin includes the cities of Rangely, Dinosaur, Craig, Hayden, and Meeker, until 5 pm Monday, January 30.
• Grand and Battlement Mesas, Gore and Elk Mountains/Central Mountain Valleys-West Elk and Sawatch Mountains-Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide, which includes the cities of Aspen, Vail, Snowmass, Crested Butte, Taylor Park, Marble, Ridgway, and Glade Park from 11 pm Sunday, January 29 until Monday.
• Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus, Upper Yampa River Basin, including the city of Rio Blanco and Steamboat Springs, until 5 pm Monday.
• Debeque to Silt Corridor-Central Colorado River Basin, which includes the cities of De Beque, New Castle, Mesa, Parachute, Rifle, Silt, Eagle, Edwards, Glenwood Springs, and Carbondale from 11 pm Sunday until 11 pm Monday

Winter Storm Warnings:

• Elkhead, Park Mountains, and Flat Tops, including the cities of Columbine, Hahns Peak, Toponas, Budford, and Trappers Lake, until 5 pm Monday.

Avalanche Warnings:

• Park Range and Elk Head Mountains in Level 4 of 5 until 5 pm Monday.

Debrief:

Overcast skies hung around most of the Western Slope throughout most of the day. Grand Junction, Delta, and Montrose remained dry throughout the day and will continue for the remainder of the day. However, some areas in the High Country received light snowfall around the morning and afternoon hours. The snowfall will continue to be scattered on and off as the rest of Sunday concludes. Temperatures tonight will sit in the mid-twenties for Grand Junction, Delta, and Montrose and the upper teens for Cortez.

The primary snowfall and winter storm will impact most of the state on Monday. During the morning, locations towards the northern part of the state, including Craig and Steamboat Springs, will have moderate snowfall rates. Along the I-70 corridor, snowfall will be present, affecting locations in the High Country, including Vail, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and more. Our valleys will sit dry but can receive light snowfall to a rain and snow mix.

Snowfall will become more widespread across the Western Slope and along the Continental Divide as the day progresses from afternoon to evening hours. The heaviest will fall around the evening and into the nighttime hours when the next cold front passes over. The valleys will have the best chance of seeing snowfall around the evening to nighttime hours. The cold front will drop temperatures down into the lower thirties for Grand Junction, and for Delta, Montrose and Cortez will hover in the mid-thirties.

Snowfall accumulations will sit in ranges from around one to four in the valleys. Grand Junction and Delta have the lower end of the spectrum, while Montrose will sit higher. In the San Juans, snowfall ranges will be around four to eight. For locations along the Continental Divide, snowfall will be around three to five to four to eight. Others can see ranges from six to nine, like in Steamboat Springs. These are ranges, and no guarantee that is how much snowfall will fall and whether there will be isolated higher amounts in other locations.

On Tuesday, January 31, snowfall will continue in the High Country and San Juans. Montrose has a chance of receiving some snowfall during the morning hours but will remain relatively quiet for Grand Junction and Delta. There will not be any significant accumulations for the valleys, but Montrose could receive an additional inch of snowfall. By the evening hours, most of the snowfall will push out of the state. Overcast skies will stay for the remainder of the day. Temperatures will remain in the lower thirties for Grand Junction, but for Delta and Montrose, temperatures will also fall to this range. Cortez will have temperatures hover in the mid-thirties.

On Wednesday, February 1, conditions will remain dry, and overcast skies will continue. Temperatures will stay the same from the previous days. From Thursday, February 2, to Sunday, January 5, cloud cover will become scattered, leading to partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will also gradually warm each day leading into Saturday, January 4. Grand Junction will sit in the mid-thirties on Thursday and warm to the lower forties by Saturday. Montrose will warm to the upper thrities, Delta to the mid-fourites, and lower fourites for Cortez.

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