Clear skies briefly return. Clouds moving back in with more mountain snow.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - While some lingering snow fell over the higher elevations, skies were clearing out and we even started to see some sunshine in the valleys across the Western Slope yesterday afternoon. Skies continued to clear across the region through the evening and overnight hours, with temperatures falling into the teens and 20s in the valleys with single digits and below-zero numbers in the higher elevations. Those clear skies won’t be hanging around for long, though. Clouds will be back on the increase once again today ahead of the arrival of our next opportunity to see some increased rain chances.

Next System in Line

The system that brought rain and snow to the Western Slope over the last couple of days is now moving out across the Great Lakes region, and the next system in line is already moving across central Nevada this morning. It will continue to drop southeast across the Four Corners region tonight and tomorrow, increasing clouds once again across the Western Slope today and tonight. The best chances for snow will set up mostly along and south of the San Juan Mountains, but some of that snow could push up the Continental Divide and across the High Country and the Grand Mesa by late Friday afternoon and into Friday evening. Snow still seems unlikely in Grand Junction, but a few snowflakes cannot be completely ruled out in Delta and even more so in Montrose.

Much Lower Snowfall Totals

This is expected to be a fairly quick and weak system, so snowfall totals are only expected to be around 1 to 2 inches for most locations generally along and south of a line stretching from Dove Creek, to Montrose, to Paonia, to Crested Butte, and to Vail. There could be some spotty trace to 1 inch amounts farther north, but the adequate moisture needed for accumulating snow is much less available the farther north you go from the San Juan Mountains. A few locally higher snowfall amounts are possible along some of the highest peaks along the San Juan Mountains.

Sunshine (Briefly) Returns Again This Weekend

Northerly winds move into the region on the back side of that system on Saturday, clearing skies out once again and turning us a little cooler around the Western Slope. We’ll see mostly sunny to sunny skies again with highs in the lower 30s. Similar to what we’re seeing this morning, those clear skies once again will not stick around for long. Clouds increase once again Saturday night before our next chance for snow moves in by Sunday. Best snow chances will favor the High Country, the Grand Mesa, and the Continental Divide, but we’ll also mention small chances for some snowflakes in and around the valleys as well.

Drier Again Next Week

There’s still some data disagreement on the timing of that next system late this weekend and into early next week, but some snow could continue in the higher elevations of the region on Monday. Elsewhere around the Western Slope we’ll be clearing out once again with partly cloudy skies and highs in the upper 20s and lower 30s through the middle of next week.

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