NWS Grand Junction, CO

NOAA All Hazards & Weather Radio

Listening Area and Tone Alert Coverage

The Weather Forecast Office in Grand Junction, Colorado currently has 6 operational NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) transmitters that broadcast continuous weather information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across portions of Western Colorado and Eastern Utah. In Colorado, the transmitters are located near Grand Junction, Montrose, Durango, and Glenwood Springs. In Utah, transmitters are located near Vernal and Moab. In the future, NWR will be expanding, with potential listening areas in Cortez, Craig, and Steamboat Springs.

Small image of Weather Radio coverage map

NOAA Weather Radio Listening Areas
in western Colorado and eastern Utah.
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Click this image for a nationwide list of NOAA
Weather Radio frequencies

The following is a summary for each current transmitter that includes their respective listening areas and tone alert coverage. The tone alert represents an area that will receive both the SAME alert and 1050 Hz tone when any weather warning is issued from the Weather Forecast Office in Grand Junction. This does NOT mean that other counties/areas within the listening zone will not hear the warning. It will be broadcast on NWR; however, the broadcast cycle will not be interrupted by the 2 tone alerts.

NOAA Weather Radio stations operated by the NWS Grand Junction include:

Grand Junction, CO - 162.550 MHz
WXM-55 sits atop the Grand Mesa in Mesa County. Good listening coverage includes the entire Grand Valley from Loma to Palisade, extending to the west end of DeBeque Canyon. Average listening coverage also includes the north face of the Uncompahgre Plateau and portions of the Grand Mesa. The counties that will receive the warning tone alerts include: Mesa and Garfield. Weather broadcasts from this radio are repeated on 106.7 FM in the Grand Valley and in Parachute, courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Montrose, CO - 162.450 MHz
At an elevation of 10,200 feet, KXI-90 broadcasts from Storm King Peak in southeast Montrose county. Good listening coverage can be found from Montrose to Delta, with average coverage as far north as Cedaredge and Paonia. Good coverage can be found as far east as Blue Mesa Dam near Sapinero. Coverage to the south is good to Ridgway along US Hwy 550. The counties that will receive the warning tone alerts include: Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, and Ouray. Weather broadcasts from this radio are repeated on 99.1 FM, courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Glenwood Springs, CO - 162.500 MHz
WWG-43 is located atop Sunlight Peak, just south of Glenwood Springs. This radio broadcasts weather information targeting the I-70 corridor from Rifle to Glenwood Springs, and south to Aspen along Highway 82. The counties that will receive the warning tone alerts include: Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin. Weather broadcasts from this radio are repeated on 107.9 FM, and 530 AM, courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Durango, CO - 162.425 MHz
KWN-54 transmits weather broadcasts 24 hours a day to the Durango area on a frequency of 162.425 mHZ. The transmitter housing is located on Missionary Ridge in La Plata County. Coverage will be best in La Plata County, but residents in Cortez and Pagosa Springs may be able to hear it too (depending on your line-of-site location). Areas that will receive the warning tone alerts include: La Plata and portions of Archuleta Counties in Colorado, and portions of San Juan and Rio Arriba Counties in New Mexico.
Vernal, UT - 162.400 MHz
Atop Asphalt Ridge, this WXM-23 is located in Uintah County just southwest of Vernal. Good coverage includes most of the Eastern Uinta Basin from Duchesne to Vernal, and from Ouray to Bonanza. Eastern extent goes to Dinosaur, just east of the Colorado/Utah border. The Northern extent of the signal hits the south facing slopes of the Eastern Uinta mountains, including Dry Fork. The counties that will receive the warning tone alerts include: Uintah, and eastern Duchesne.
Moab, UT - 162.475 MHz
WNG-556, the newest of 6 NOAA Weather Radios operated by the NWS Office in Grand Junction, broadcasts from a site 12 miles southeast of Moab, Utah. The transmitter is located at an elevation of 8638 feet on Bald Mesa in the La Sal Mountains. The primary coverage area of this station is east central Utah, generally between Thompson Springs and Monticello. The Utah counties that will receive the warning tone alerts include Grand, northern San Juan, and southeast Emery.

NOAA Weather Radio Rebroadcasts on AM / FM Radio

Programming Schedule

The programming schedule consists of taped messages which run continuously and are routinely revised and updated to keep western Colorado and eastern Utah listeners informed of the latest weather information affecting the region. The entire broadcast cycle typically runs from 4 to 6 minutes in length, but may vary as conditions warrant. Routine products broadcast on the radios include, but are not limited to:

Regional Weather Synopsis - an overview (in layman terms) of the synoptic weather patterns affecting, or expected to affect western Colorado and/or eastern Utah within the 5-day forecast period, with emphasis given to the first 48 hours. Updated 3 times a day or as needed.
Hazardous Weather Outlook - A daily product, issued early each morning but updated as needed. This outlook extends across a 7-day period, alerting the public to any weather, hydrologic, or no-precipitation even that has a significant chance of creating a harmful impact on people over the next week. These evens may include, but are not limited to, lightning, heavy rain, significant snowfall, very dry conditions associated with fire potential and behavior, strong winds, dense fog, bitter cold, and extremely hot temperatures. The outlook will be appended with a spotter statement, expressing whether or not weather spotters will be needed that day.
Local Forecasts - a 7-day forecast for sky condition, temperatures, precipitation, and wind.
Current Regional Weather Conditions - updated hourly, this product gives complete hourly weather observations for selected cities in western Colorado and eastern Utah on the respective radios, as well as additional regional cities across the western U.S.
Nowcasts - a short term forecast, concentrating on the next 1 to 3 hours, typically for a specific area or location. The forecast will incorporate current Doppler radar, satellite and automated/manned surface observations, to provide accurate and descriptive short-range outlooks.
Other products - are broadcast as needed. These include Weather Warnings/Watches, Special Weather Statements, Public Information Statements, Avalanche Bulletins, and extreme Fire Weather Statements. Also, educational and promotional recordings covering various topics of interest to the general public are broadcast occasionally.

Weather Warning Alarms

When severe weather threatens a location within the County Warning Forecast Area (CWFA), the routine broadcast cycle will be interrupted in order to activate the warning alarm . This alarm triggers specially-built weather radios to sound, letting the listener know that important live weather information will be broadcast immediately. Tests (during clear weather) of this warning alarm feature are normally conducted every Wednesday, between the hours of 11 am and noon.

Some new NOAA Weather Radio models have a SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) alarm capability. To learn more about it:

How do I get a NOAA Weather Radio?

If I don't have NWR in my area, what can I do?

If you have suggestions or comments concerning the Grand Junction weather radio
program, please contact:

National Weather Service
792 Eagle Dr.
Grand Junction, Co. 81506-8646
(970) 243-7007 (weekdays, 8-4 pm)

NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office