Monsoon moisture keeps rain chances around

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Some scattered showers and thunderstorms from yesterday afternoon continued into the late evening and early overnight hours last night, primarily in the High Country between Glenwood Springs and Vail. Just about all of the rain was gone before sunrise this morning, but partly to mostly cloudy skies were settled in across much of the region. Partly cloudy skies will continue through the morning, then we’ll watch for more scattered showers and thunderstorms by later this afternoon as monsoon moisture remains firmly in place across the Western Slope. The best rain chances will be along the San Juan Mountains and the Continental Divide, but some scattered showers and storms are possible in the central and northern portions of the region as well. Where we don’t see rain, we’ll see partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies and highs in the middle to upper 80s in Grand Junction and Montrose. Partly cloudy to mostly clear skies settle in as rain comes to an end through the evening. Overnight lows will fall into the upper 50s and lower 60s.

We’ll see a little bit of a drop in moisture into Saturday, but we should still see enough to see more showers and thunderstorms on Saturday afternoon. Best coverage will once again favor the San Juans and the Continental Divide, but some slight chances of showers and storms will persist northward from there. Better moisture returns to the region on Sunday, increasing rain chances all around the Western Slope. Highs will be in the middle to upper 80s in Montrose, and the upper 80s to lower 90s in Grand Junction.

Mother Nature’s 4th of July fireworks

That same pattern looks to hold into our July 4th holiday on Monday as well. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop across the region by the afternoon. Not everyone will see rain, and it will not rain all day around the Western Slope. Keep any of those outdoor plans, but have a temporary alternative plan in mind to come inside if your location winds up seeing one of those showers or thunderstorms. Remember: if thunder roars, go indoors. Wait the shower or storm out, then return to your outdoor activities once it passes.

Here comes the heat again

An area of high pressure currently situated over the southeastern United States will gradually build westward into the southern Plains through the weekend and into early next week, then move toward the Rocky Mountains into the middle of next week as it continues to strengthen. That building ridge will weaken a trough currently located off of the coast of California, taking much of the moisture we’re seeing right now with it. We’ll start to dry out on Tuesday, and temperatures will quickly begin to warm up through the middle of the week. We’ll be in the lower to middle 90s by Tuesday, middle 90s by Wednesday, then middle to upper 90s and close to the 100s again by Thursday.

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