Warmer weather arrives in time for the weekend

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - Our slow warming continues, and it will keep going through this weekend. That’s when we’ll briefly turn warmer than normal.

This Weekend’s Weather

This weekend will be unseasonably warm. Expect mostly sunny to partly cloudy conditions on both Saturday and Sunday. High temperatures will be in the mid-to-upper 40s both afternoons. Morning lows will in the low-to-mid 20s for most areas with high teens in the coldest areas.

Our Next Weather Maker

Our next weather maker is on track to arrive on Monday. It’s still several days away and far enough enough away in time that specific details aren’t yet available. Early indications are snow will start falling in the early morning hours of Monday - possibly as early as 1-4 AM. If the snow lasts into the afternoon, it could change to rain, but it may end before we’re warm enough for the change over to happen. The biggest part of this rain and snow looks to end between about 10 AM and 1 PM. Keep in mind these early indications can change. We’ll monitor this developing storm system and keep you updated on its progress.

Our Next 24 Hours

This evening will be clear and chilly - but not as chilly as the past couple of nights have been. We’ll cool from mid-30s around 6 PM to mid-to-upper 20s by 10 PM. The rest of tonight will be clear. Low temperatures by morning will be near 19 degrees around Grand Junction, 15 degrees around Montrose, 18 degrees around Delta, and 10 degrees around Cortez. Areas with snow still covering the ground can be a little colder. Friday will start sunny with temperatures in the teens to lower 20s. Increasing clouds will dim the sunlight. High temperatures will be near 42 degrees around Grand Junction, 39 degrees around Montrose, 42 degrees around Delta, and 42 degrees around Cortez.

January Precipitation

January ended with 0.79 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation. That’s rain and melted snow combined. That’s good moisture and nearly 0.20″ above the normal January precipitation of 0.61 inches. This ranks January 2023 as the 30th wettest January on record. Snowfall was a big part of this. We ended January with 5.7 inches of total snowfall - more than an inch above the normal of 4.5 inches. That’s the 46th snowiest January in our 130 years of records at Grand Junction.

When History Suggests The Last Snow Could Fall

Last snow averages around April 1. The earliest last snow was December 18, 1899. The latest last snow is May 22, 2015, so we’re still looking at another solid two months where we are fair game for snow here on the Western Slope.

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