339 FXUS65 KGJT 282038 AFDGJT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Junction CO 138 PM MST Sat Feb 28 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Exceptionally warm temperatures continue through Monday, with gusty winds and near-record highs Monday afternoon. - Accumulating snow is possible in the northern and central mountains late Saturday into Sunday. - Mild conditions continue next week with additional snowfall for mountain locales around 9-10,000 feet. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 112 PM MST Sat Feb 28 2026 The weakly organized cutoff low in the eastern Pacific approaches shore this evening, while broad ridging over the West continues to flatten tonight. This will introduce a plume of moisture across the Great Basin and some cloud cover that can already be seen to our west. Afternoon highs on the West Slope will top out again well above normal under sunny skies, before overcast invades this evening. Non-zero precipitation chances arrive overnight tonight and our northern mountains will see some light rain/snow by daybreak. Snow levels remain in the 8-10000 feet range across the region, with cooler overnight conditions allowing rain/snow lines to drop. Precipitation will surge around daybreak to mid-day Sunday, with 1-2 inches of snow around pass level. Sunday morning traffic on Vail Pass could see some slushy roads and poor visibilities. This all becomes a moot point though, as temperatures warm significantly again on Sunday afternoon, with highs in excess of 15 degrees over climatology. This all comes as the digging low just offshore of NORCAL builds the ridge back overhead Sunday night. Precipitation will be all but gone late Sunday night, as the subsident transitory ridge works overhead. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Issued at 112 PM MST Sat Feb 28 2026 The week ahead features an active weather pattern with unseasonably warm temperatures. We kick things off on Monday with trough that builds in from the west. During the daytime hours, gusty winds build as a jet streak slides in overhead with continued light orographic precipitation over the northern mountains. Unfortunately most of the precipitation will fall as rain because the jet ushers in temperatures on the order of 15-20 degrees above normal which could lead to new record highs in some locations. The best synoptic lift from this wave arrives Monday night into Tuesday, so we expect an uptick in precipitation coverage and intensity during this timeframe. Mild temperatures will continue to limit snowfall accumulations, but the northern and central mountains may cool enough to pick up a couple inches of fresh snow. The trough stalls out over the region on Tuesday leading to additional precipitation until the trough moves off to the east Tuesday evening. After a dry Wednesday, a strengthening trough moves into the western CONUS on Thursday. Forecast confidence is low Thursday and beyond due to key differences in the strength, location, and timing of this trough, but in general we anticipate another dose of mountain rain/snow with mild daytime temperatures. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1033 AM MST Sat Feb 28 2026 VFR conditions are forecast through Sunday night with increasing high clouds. Tomorrow morning, moisture increases leading to decreasing ceilings and increasing -SHRA chances for terminals adjacent to the northern and central Divide mountains. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...None. UT...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...LTB LONG TERM...KAA AVIATION...TGJT