First significant November snowmaker of this year to arrive next week

KKCO 11 News at 6:00 Weather Forecast November 25, 2022
Published: Nov. 25, 2022 at 8:12 PM MST

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - Today has stayed roughly the same as this week, with sunshine, dry conditions, and temperatures remaining in the forty-degree range. The high temperature in Grand Junction reached 49, while Montrose stayed at 45. We will continue to have clear skies throughout the overnight hours as temperatures will remain in the mid to lower 20s for Grand Junction and Montrose.

Tomorrow, changes will occur as our first out of two snowmakers will arrive within a week. During the morning and afternoon hours, we will continue to see plenty of sunshine for most Western Slope before cloud cover pushes in around the early evening hours. Snowfall will arrive for areas in the high country and higher elevations when we get into the nighttime. While this snowmaker will continue overnight, it will push eastward by Sunday morning. As Friday models suggest, many places will not receive high amounts of snowfall as only a couple of inches will fall in many areas. However, some of our mountains could receive around 4-6 inches of snow. Our valleys will remain dry throughout the day, and cloud cover will be the only change.

Sunday, cloud cover will slowly take off and become scattered, leading to partly cloudy skies for most locations across the Western Slope. Temperatures will continue to hover in the forty-degree range and will continue into Monday when overcast skies return.

By Tuesday, Grand Junction and Montrose’s temperatures will plummet from the forties into the mid to lower 30s. Tuesday is also the arrival of our second snowmaker, which will impact most of the state and produce a significant amount of snow. For our valleys, we will start the day with the chance of some mixed precipitation before that transitions into snowfall towards the afternoon hours. Snowfall will be around most of the day for areas in the high country, higher elevations, and mountain passes. Towards the evening hours, these locations will see snow falling at a higher rate as this weather maker will reach around peak intensity.

Snowfall accumulation will vary; in our valleys, around 1-2 inches will be as models suggest. However, in higher elevations and high country, snowfall totals can reach about 6-9 inches and sometimes up to a foot. These accumulation amounts can exceed the foot margin for areas in the San Juans and up on the Mesa.

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