THE NEXT WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...
ANOTHER PERIOD OF MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY AS A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE WEEK.
A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE ONSHORE AND TRACK OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST LATE TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. IN RESPONSE...SNOW WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA BEGINNING LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...INITIALLY FAVORING THE MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO. SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BECOMING WIDESPREAD ACROSS ALL MOUNTAIN AREAS ON WEDNESDAY. BASED ON THE PREDICTED STORM TRACK...THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE FAVORED FOR THE HEAVIEST SNOW AS THE STORMS CENTER SWEEPS WEST TO EAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST UTAH AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO.
GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW EARLY WEDNESDAY BEFORE WINDS DIMINISH AND SHIFT TO THE WEST AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES OVERHEAD. SNOWFALL WILL INCREASE OVER THE NORTH WEDNESDAY EVENING AS MOISTURE AND ENERGY WRAP AROUND THE EXITING STORM SYSTEM. IN THE LOWER VALLEYS...RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW AS COLDER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION. A WEAK DISTURBANCE WILL KEEP AREAS OF SNOWFALL GOING INTO THURSDAY.
WHILE THERE CONTINUES TO BE SOME UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE TRACK AND DURATION OF THIS STORM...IT DOES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS.
IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO TRAVEL TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...BE SURE TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS. ROAD CONDITIONS WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. YOU CAN MONITOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS THROUGH LOCAL MEDIA...AND THE GRAND JUNCTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GJT. ALSO...FOLLOW THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.