Valley rain could mix with snow tonight

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - A Winter Storm Warning continues until 6 PM Thursday for the Uncompahgre Plateau, the Grand Mesa, Battlement Mesa, the southern Elk Mountains, the southern San Juan Mountains, the Flat Tops, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A total of 10-20 inches of snow is likely. Some areas could get more than two feet of accumulation. Wind gusts up to 40 mph can blow the snow, reducing visibility and make conditions dangerous for travel. The Winter Storm Warning includes Glade Park, Collbran, Cedaredge, Crested Butte, Marble, Pitkin, Ridgeway, Silverton, and Steamboat Springs.

A Winter Weather Advisory continues until midnight Wednesday night for the Bookcliffs and the Roan Plateau and until 6 PM Thursday for the Elk Mountains, the Gore Mountains, the Sawatch Mountains, northern San Juan Mountains, the Mosquito Mountains, and the high valleys. A total of 6-12 iches of snow is likely. Locally, up to 20 inches of snow is possible. Wind gusts up to 45 mph can blow the snow, reducing visibility and make conditions dangerous for travel. The Winter Weather Advisory includes Aspen, Snowmass Village, Vail, Eagle, Breckenridge, Leadville, Fairplay, Idaho springs, Buena Vista, Salida, Ouray, Telluride, Lake City, Creede, Saguache, Alamosa, and Winter Park.

Timing for the Western Slope

Valley rain and mountain snow are likely tonight. Snow may mix with the valley rain along Highway 50 from around Grand Junction to Delta, and complete change from rain to snow is possible along Highway 50 around Olathe and Montrose. That is most likely to happen after about 2 AM. Rain and snow will end for most Mesa and Delta counties, including areas around Grand Junction, between 4 AM and 7 AM. The lingering snow from Montrose to Nucla to Cortez will fade to an end between 9 AM and noon.

Forecast Rain & Snow Amounts

An additional tenth of an inch to one third of an inch of rain is likely along Highway 50. Snow may fall with rain around Grand Junction and Delta, but snow accumulation is unlikely. The snow more likely to melt. Up to 2-4 inches of accumulation is possible around Montrose. An additional 2-4 inches of snow is possible around Glad Park and down the Uncompahgre Plateau. Another 6-9 inches of snow will fall on the Grand Mesa and Crested Butte with an additional 4-6 inches on top of snow that has already fallen around the Elk Mountains and Aspen.

Our Next 24 Hours

Rain and mountain snow are likely this evening. Sunset is at 7:21 PM. We’ll cool slowly from upper 40s around 6 PM to lower 40s at 10 PM. Rain and mountain snow are likely overnight. Snow may mix with the rain in the valleys after about 2 AM. Low temperatures by morning will be near 32 degrees around Grand Junction, 29 degrees around Montrose, 32 degrees around Delta, and 31 degrees around Cortez. Rain and snow will fade from northwest to southeast between 6 AM and noon. The rest of Thursday will be mostly cloudy. High temperatures will be near 46 degrees around Grand Junction, 42 degrees around Montrose, 45 degrees around Delta, and 46 degrees around Cortez.

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