Sunny and cool start to the new work week

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - After a weekend that featured multiple rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms, things are a lot quieter for the start of the new work week across the Western Slope. A few showers and rumbles of thunder continued through the overnight hours between Aspen and Gunnison, but those quickly dissipated before sunrise, and now we’re left with plenty of sunshine across much of the region except for the higher elevations along the Continental Divide. We’re off to a bit of a cooler start as well today, with temperatures starting out in the middle to upper 40s and lower 50s. We’ll continue to see plenty of sunshine through the day today, with high temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s--around 10 degrees cooler than the normal highs for this time of year. Clear skies continue overnight tonight with lows once again in the middle to upper 40s and lower 50.

Next couple of days

Clouds will gradually be on the increase through Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures getting gradually warmer. We’ll see middle to upper 80s with a few lower 90s as skies transition from mostly sunny on Tuesday to partly cloudy on Wednesday. Any rain chances across the region through the middle of the week should largely stay along and south of the San Juan Mountains. A couple of isolated showers and thunderstorms could surge northward into the central portions of the Western Slope on Wednesday as a bit more moisture is able to make it farther north.

Early look at Country Jam

Country Jam week is here once again in Grand Junction, and for now the forecast looks pretty typical for a summer afternoon each day. Some of the better moisture that stays over the southern portions of the region through the middle of the week makes it much farther north on Thursday, and we’ll see a better chance of some scattered showers and thunderstorms during peak daytime heating by Thursday afternoon. Where we don’t see rain, we’ll see partly cloudy skies and highs in the middle 80s. We’ll continue to mention a slight chance of seeing one or two afternoon showers and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday, but overall those days look much drier with partly cloudy skies and highs in the upper 80s. Similar to this past weekend, we’re not expecting an all-day soaker of a rain for any of the three days of Country Jam, but just have a temporary alternative plan in the back of your mind in case a shower or storm does move in during the festivities.

Our next best chance of rain across the region after Thursday appears to be on Sunday, and rain chances could potentially need to go up more as we get closer to that time.

Meteorologist Zack Webster

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