FXUS65 KGJT 062349 AFDGJT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 549 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Winter Weather Advisories in place through 1800 MDT this evening for San Juan Mountains. - Freeze warnings in place for most of our valleys across western Colorado. - Warmer, drier conditions return to the region Thursday. Temperatures surge well above normal Friday and beyond. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 112 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026 Drier air has begun to spread across the region from the northwest this morning. The morning sounding at Grand Junction depicts a strong capping inversion at the mid levels too. This is suppressing shower activity behind the cold front that has swept through today, bringing measurable snowfall across the mountains and some needed wetting rains to the valleys. Freeze Warnings remain in place for the valleys across western Colorado, including a newly added COZ020 for the Paradox valley. Winter Weather Advisories are still in place through 1800 MDT for the San Juans, as the front slowly exits across the Continental Divide. Monarch and Wolf Creek Passes continue to see some packed snow on their summits. Tonight, skies will clear and cool conditions will settle across the region below a fresh snowpack. Dry, northwest flow will continue Thursday, with temperatures returning to near normal under clear skies. A weak clipper system works across the Elkheads and Park Range Thursday afternoon. Snow and rain impacts are expected to be near nil. High pressure slides into the driver seat Friday and temperatures surge upward in excess of 10 degrees above average. Temperature outlooks keep this trend in place with temperatures going even higher next week, as high pressure amplifies across the West. Deterministic models keep weather conditions rather quiet heading into next week. The jet stream remains well to our north and the dominant ridge looks to stay in charge. A couple of disturbances threaten to flatten the ridge. This could produce some cloud cover, but little in the way of precipitation at this point. Temperature outlooks remain aggressively warm for next week. There is still time for this to evolve. Critical fire weather conditions become a target of concern as this hot and dry pattern emerges. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 543 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026 Drier air is quickly moving in from the north, allowing skies to clear and clouds to dissipate this evening. Gusty winds will continue across SW CO valleys through 03Z before becoming light and terrain driven after sunset and overnight. Some lower CIGS are lingering along the central and southern divide mountains particularly KASE, KGUC and KTEX with light showers at the peaks but should improve by sunset or shortly after. VFR conditions will prevail for the next 24 hours. Breezy winds return Thursday afternoon with some scattered cumulus possible over the higher terrain and increasing cloud cover across the north (KVEL and KHDN) due to a passing weak disturbance. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 9 AM MDT Thursday for COZ001-002-007-008-011-020>023. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MDT this evening for COZ012- 018-019. UT...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...LTB AVIATION...TGJT