Hail in Colorado, September 10, 2003

WESTERN COLORADO & EASTERN UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
927 AM MDT WED SEP 10 2003

SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT)...
ACTIVE WEATHER AGAIN ON THE UPSWING. DEEP WINTER-LIKE STORM SYSTEM
MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN. STRONG JET ALIGNED ALONG
SOUTHERN CO WITH IMPULSE IN CENTRAL UTAH DRIVING A COLD FRONT
ACROSS SOUTHEAST UTAH AND WEST CENTRAL COLORADO. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...
INDICATIVE OF GOOD LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE/UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE
COUPLET. AREAS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MOVING OVER AREAS WHICH HAVE
RECENTLY RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL SO HAVE ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO. THICKNESSES...
DYNAMICS AND EXPERIENCE IN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS YESTERDAY POINTS TO
SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS FROM LATE
THIS MORNING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. GIVEN FIRST SNOW EVENT WILL GO
AHEAD WITH SNOW ADVISORY FROM MID-MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING FOR
THE FLAT TOPS...GORE...ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE
REMAINING CENTRAL MOUNTAINS FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9500 FEET. LATER
SHIFTS WILL NEED TO EVALUATE ANY ADDITIONS. TEMPERATURES MUCH COOLER
BEHIND THE FRONT.

TROF AXIS SLIDES EAST OF THE DIVIDE THIS EVENING WITH NORTHWEST FLOW
SETTLING IN. THIS SHOULD KEEP SNOW GOING FOR A LITTLE WHILE IN THE
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS WILL BECOME MORE SCATTERED
AS DYNAMICS WANE AND COLD CORE MOVES OVERHEAD.    NL/TAL

THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...TROF MOVES SLOWLY EAST TO HIGH PLAINS
BY LATE THURSDAY. COOL NORTHWEST UNSTABLE FLOW WILL ALLOW SLIGHT
CHANCE SHOWERS OVER LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH CHANCE SHOWERS OVER HIGHER
TERRAIN. DRIER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION BY THURSDAY NIGHT WITH
ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTH. WITH SLIGHTLY
WARMER AIR ON THURSDAY...EXPECT SNOW LEVELS AROUND 8500 FEET.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...EXPECT FRIDAY TO BE AN IN BETWEEN DAY AS
NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. CLOUDS WILL INCREASE FROM
THE NORTH ON FRIDAY WITH SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ACROSS NORTHERN
SECTIONS. MODELS CONTINUE TO INCREASE STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM WITH
EACH SUCCESSIVE RUN. WITH GOOD DYNAMICS AND MOISTURE EXPECT SYSTEM TO
BRING CHANCE OF SHOWERS MOUNTAINS AND NORTH ON SATURDAY. SYSTEM
APPEARS TO BE QUITE COLD AND EXPECT SNOW TO BE A CONCERN OVER
MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS.  MPM

SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...
TROF SLOWLY MOVES OUT OF THE AREA ON SUNDAY BRINGING DRIER AND
SLIGHTLY WARMER CONDITIONS. MAIN STORM TRACK FOR PACIFIC DISTURBANCES
WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE CWA MONDAY IN MODERATE WNW FLOW ALOFT. ON
TUESDAY IT APPEARS THE WINDS ALOFT BECOME MORE NORTHWESTERLY
ACCORDING TO THE MRF. THIS BRINGS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND COLD FRONT
INTO THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA ON TUESDAY. HAVE INCREASED POPS A
NOTCH IN THE NRN HALF OF THE CWA...DROPPED TEMPS A BIT AND INCREASED
RH AND SFC WINDS FOR TUE.

WEDNESDAY...COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH ERN UT AND WRN CO AFFECTING
NORTHERN HALF OF AREA MOST. FLOW ALOFT BECOMES NW AND DRIES FROM NW
TO SE THROUGH THE DAY. TEMPS COOLS WITH THICKNESS DECREASES. CJC

.GJT...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO
       UNTIL 400 PM.
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 900 PM FOR CENTRAL AND
       NORTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS.

COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-111200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
932 AM MDT WED SEP 10 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN COLORADO AND FOR
EASTERN UTAH

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TODAY FOR SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL
COLORADO...

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND PORTIONS OF THE
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TODAY AND THIS EVENING...

PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN TODAY WILL CONTINUE THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH
FLOODING ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO. IN ADDITION...SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS
ABOVE 7500 FEET WILL OCCUR...WITH SOME ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. SNOW
WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDER AT TIMES WHICH WILL LIKELY ENHANCE
ACCUMULATIONS. WITH THE HEAVY RAIN...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH.

A STRONG FALL-LIKE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY
AND TONIGHT WITH MUCH OF ITS ENERGY FOCUSING ON EASTERN UTAH AND
WESTERN COLORADO.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

DRIER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE STORM ON THURSDAY
AND FRIDAY...THOUGH A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...THOUGH MAINLY
OVER HIGHER TERRAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER...
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PHONE IN REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS...HAIL
AND HEAVY RAIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

NL/DJN