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Teton Winter Conditions Update: Hunting Powder, Respecting Avalanche Risks in Jackson Hole
Published 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
Ski Report for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming
Daily Ski Conditions for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming
Jackson Hole is riding a classic “low tide down low, deep up high” Teton winter right now, which means if you like hunting for quality snow and steep lines, you’re in a good place as long as you play it smart. Up high, the Rendezvous Bowl plot has been stacking impressive moisture with a snow depth around 71 inches recently, about 123% of average for this point in the season, even though coverage at lower elevations has been thinner than usual. Base depths are still on the lean side off the main groomed arterials, so expect some sharks off the sides of lower runs and in tighter, rockier entrances.
In the last couple of days, small pulses of snow have been brushing the Tetons with light accumulations rather than full-on dump totals. Short-range forecasts for the high elevations, around 10,000 feet, are calling for snow showers with highs in the upper 20s Fahrenheit, then clearing periods with daytime highs in the mid to upper 20s over the next few days, trending toward sunnier and slightly warmer by early next week. Think cold, chalky snow on north-facing aspects and a bit of sun-softening on south faces during the warmer afternoons when the clouds break. Overnight lows are dropping into the single digits, which is great for preserving surface quality.
Looking at the 5-day vibe, expect a mix of mostly cloudy, occasional snow showers early, then more partly sunny to mostly sunny days with highs at upper mountain around mid-20s to low 30s and valley temps generally colder, especially at night. No mega dump is on tap immediately, but the medium-range pattern favors more periodic storms thanks to a weak La Niña set-up steering above-normal precipitation into northwest Wyoming this winter. In other words, the storm door isn’t locked; it’s just creaking open and shut between high-pressure windows.
On the hill, most of the main lift network is operating for the core season, including the Aerial Tram, Bridger Gondola, Sublette, Thunder, and the frontside workhorses like Apres Vous, Sweetwater, and Teewinot, all on standard winter hours, conditions and avalanche mitigation permitting. That usually translates into a high percentage of trails open, with groomers in good shape top-to-bottom each morning and the chalkiest, most filling turns on the upper mountain. Expect the best skiing and riding from mid-mountain up: groomed cruisers off Apres Vous and Casper early, then Sublette, Thunder, and the Tram when patrol finishes control work and things open.
Piste conditions are classic midwinter Tetons: machine-groomed and packed powder on the main runs, with variable off-piste depending on aspect and traffic. Up high you can find boot-deep pockets in wind-deposited zones and soft chalk in the usual north-facing stashes; lower, expect a mix of packed powder, some firm spots, and the occasional thin cover where rocks and brush still lurk just below the surface. With recent in-bounds and sidecountry avalanche activity noted near the resort and on Teton Pass, the backcountry is very much in “heads up” mode this season. If you plan to leave the gates, locals will tell you to treat it like a serious mission: beacon, shovel, probe, partner, fresh avalanche forecast, and conservative terrain choices.
Weather-wise, riding the Tram or Sublette will feel noticeably colder and breezier than Teton Village, with west to west-northwest winds in the 5–10 mph range at higher elevations and wind chills dropping below zero at times during clear nights or active snow showers. Layer like a local: light base, solid midlayer, shell, and something warm in your pack for tram laps or if you duck into a longer hike. The mostly sunny spells in the coming days should also deliver those big Jackson vistas—Grand Teton popping over the ridge with that midwinter alpenglow—so it’s worth
Daily Ski Conditions for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming
Jackson Hole is riding a classic “low tide down low, deep up high” Teton winter right now, which means if you like hunting for quality snow and steep lines, you’re in a good place as long as you play it smart. Up high, the Rendezvous Bowl plot has been stacking impressive moisture with a snow depth around 71 inches recently, about 123% of average for this point in the season, even though coverage at lower elevations has been thinner than usual. Base depths are still on the lean side off the main groomed arterials, so expect some sharks off the sides of lower runs and in tighter, rockier entrances.
In the last couple of days, small pulses of snow have been brushing the Tetons with light accumulations rather than full-on dump totals. Short-range forecasts for the high elevations, around 10,000 feet, are calling for snow showers with highs in the upper 20s Fahrenheit, then clearing periods with daytime highs in the mid to upper 20s over the next few days, trending toward sunnier and slightly warmer by early next week. Think cold, chalky snow on north-facing aspects and a bit of sun-softening on south faces during the warmer afternoons when the clouds break. Overnight lows are dropping into the single digits, which is great for preserving surface quality.
Looking at the 5-day vibe, expect a mix of mostly cloudy, occasional snow showers early, then more partly sunny to mostly sunny days with highs at upper mountain around mid-20s to low 30s and valley temps generally colder, especially at night. No mega dump is on tap immediately, but the medium-range pattern favors more periodic storms thanks to a weak La Niña set-up steering above-normal precipitation into northwest Wyoming this winter. In other words, the storm door isn’t locked; it’s just creaking open and shut between high-pressure windows.
On the hill, most of the main lift network is operating for the core season, including the Aerial Tram, Bridger Gondola, Sublette, Thunder, and the frontside workhorses like Apres Vous, Sweetwater, and Teewinot, all on standard winter hours, conditions and avalanche mitigation permitting. That usually translates into a high percentage of trails open, with groomers in good shape top-to-bottom each morning and the chalkiest, most filling turns on the upper mountain. Expect the best skiing and riding from mid-mountain up: groomed cruisers off Apres Vous and Casper early, then Sublette, Thunder, and the Tram when patrol finishes control work and things open.
Piste conditions are classic midwinter Tetons: machine-groomed and packed powder on the main runs, with variable off-piste depending on aspect and traffic. Up high you can find boot-deep pockets in wind-deposited zones and soft chalk in the usual north-facing stashes; lower, expect a mix of packed powder, some firm spots, and the occasional thin cover where rocks and brush still lurk just below the surface. With recent in-bounds and sidecountry avalanche activity noted near the resort and on Teton Pass, the backcountry is very much in “heads up” mode this season. If you plan to leave the gates, locals will tell you to treat it like a serious mission: beacon, shovel, probe, partner, fresh avalanche forecast, and conservative terrain choices.
Weather-wise, riding the Tram or Sublette will feel noticeably colder and breezier than Teton Village, with west to west-northwest winds in the 5–10 mph range at higher elevations and wind chills dropping below zero at times during clear nights or active snow showers. Layer like a local: light base, solid midlayer, shell, and something warm in your pack for tram laps or if you duck into a longer hike. The mostly sunny spells in the coming days should also deliver those big Jackson vistas—Grand Teton popping over the ridge with that midwinter alpenglow—so it’s worth