GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - We got off to yet another quiet and comfortable start around the Western Slope this morning, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s in the valleys and 30s once again across some of the higher elevations. Sunny skies continue through the day today, and it will be a hot one out there with highs in the valleys in the middle to upper 90s. A couple of lower 100s cannot be ruled out. Some scattered clouds will start to develop over the Continental Divide and portions of the San Juan Mountains by later this afternoon.

Mostly clear skies will settle in across the region overnight tonight, then we transition toward partly cloudy skies through Friday morning as monsoon moisture starts to move in. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will be most likely along and south of a line from Dove Creek, to Montrose, and to Gunnison. We’ll see partly cloudy skies north of there with highs once again in the middle to upper 70s.

The best rain chances all across the Western Slope move in on Saturday and Sunday as monsoon moisture really begins to increase across the region. We’ll see scattered showers and thunderstorms both days, primarily in the afternoon. Showers and storms will be capable of producing locally heavy rainfall, and gusty winds of up to 50 to 60 miles per hour are possible in some of the stronger storm. Clouds and rain will at least keep temperatures in the upper 70s and lower to middle 80s.

We’ll start to dry out once again by Monday and through the opening half of next week. We’ll still see partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower to middle 80s. Some lower to middle 90s return by Wednesday.

Meteorologist Zack Webster

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