Sunny and dry for now, rain returns Tuesday

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - After a soggy close to the previous week, we saw more sunshine and the return of warmer temperatures to the Western Slope through the weekend. The new work week starts off just the same with plenty of sunshine and above-normal temperatures. We’ll see sunny skies through the rest of the morning, then a few clouds could pass through from time to time through the afternoon as high temperatures head for the middle and upper 80s across the lower elevations. Moisture will increase from southwest to northeast across the region late this afternoon and continue through the overnight hours. Clouds will start to increase in a similar pattern overnight tonight with lows in the middle to upper 50s.

Clouds will continue to increase, and rain becomes increasingly more widespread across the Western Slope through the day on Tuesday. Temperatures drop back down to seasonal norms with highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s. Scattered showers will continue in several locations Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, then we’ll see even better coverage of rain with some rumbles of thunder through the afternoon. Rain will be heavy on multiple occasions on Wednesday, which will continue to help make up our rainfall deficit, but could crop up some localized flooding issues in places that see multiple rounds of heavy rain. Clouds and rain will keep temperatures significantly cooler Wednesday afternoon, with highs struggling to even break into the lower 70s. We’ll start to dry out some into Thursday, but still expect some isolated to scattered showers at times. Highs will also turn a little warmer--in the lower to middle 70s.

We’ll turn much drier on Friday with highs in the middle 70s, then we’ll continue to see temperatures in the middle to upper 70s with plenty of sunshine into next weekend.

Meteorologist Zack Webster