A few thunderstorms and showers possible for the valleys to finish off the week

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) -

River Levels:

The latest update shows that river levels have started to rise significantly again. They have already caused more flooding potential in some locations across the Western Slope.

Gunnison River near Utah, Colorado Stateline

Earlier in the week, river levels for the Gunnison River near the state line of Utah and Colorado reached 13.14 feet. While the flood stage is at 15 feet, and current levels are 12.43 feet, this has already caused flooding to occur. At 10 feet, water approaches the I-70 corridor near Fruita, and at 6 feet, lowland and meadow flooding is possible near Fruita.

Gunnison River near Grand Junction

The current river level is 11.31, with a flood stage at 13 feet. At 13 feet, residential flooding is likely near the Redlands Dam. At 11 feet, the water nears the bottom of the Rock Creek Bridge along Highway 141. At 10 feet, Agricultural land floods between Whitewater and Orchard Mesa.

Gunnison River at Delta

The current river level is 8.12 feet, with a flood stage of 12 feet. At 11 feet, agricultural flooding is possible with Confluence Park flooding. At 10 feet, the water reaches the Four Seasons River In and Riverwood Mobile Home Park. At 9.4 feet, agricultural land floods upstream of Delta.

Our Next 24 hours:

Across the Western Slope, we have been on a similar pattern with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Activity usually starts around the afternoon hours and intensity around the evening. That is going to be the case over the next 24 hours. The valleys still have a slight chance of receiving a quick pop shower, but overall chances will remain low. The mountains will continue to experience scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the day and start to taper off to dry conditions overnight.

Overcast skies will hang around the valleys, leading to another comfortable night with temperatures around the mid-50s for Grand Junction and Delta and upper 40s for Montrose.

Hazy skies will continue to become a problem for parts of the Western Slope, including Grand Junction and Delta. In addition, wildfires in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the shift in our wind patterns are bringing smoke from the North into the state.

Next Week:

The mountains will continue to have rain and thunderstorm activity from the afternoon and throughout the day. However, for the valleys, chances will stay on the low end again. Temperatures in Grand Junction will remain around the lower 80s and, for Montrose, around the mid to upper 70s. Furthermore, these warm temperatures will continue to impact the snowmelt and river levels.

Cloud cover will stay partly cloudy for the valleys but overcast for the mountains due to the rain and thunderstorm activity.