Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Jackson Hole Shines with Midwinter Snow, Bluebird Days, and Epic Terrain
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 very much “on” right now, and locals are smiling under frosty facemasks. The upper mountain is stacked with midwinter snow, while the base finally looks properly white instead of early-season thin. As of the latest resort-style report, you’re looking at roughly 28 cm of snow at the base and a deep 228 cm up high, with new snow recently labeled “new snow” quality rather than old chalk or manmade hardpack. That fresh refresh is exactly what this place needed after some mixed-precip events earlier in the season, and it’s skiing like classic January Tetons again. Thirteen of thirteen lifts are spinning and about 95 percent of the terrain is open, so from groomer laps on Apres Vous to steeps off Sublette and Thunder, you’ve basically got the playground unlocked and ready to explore, including a fully open valley run back to Teton Village. Parks are still lagging a bit, with the fun park closed for now, but if you came for pow lanes and natural hits, you’re winning anyway.
In the last 24 hours the mountain picked up around 8 cm, just enough to buff out bumps, fill in old tracks, and turn groomers into that dreamy, carvable cord with a light layer of velvet on top. Over the last couple of days, storm totals have been solid rather than epic, with the bigger story being how cold it’s stayed: partly sunny, single digits to low 20s Fahrenheit, and a moderate west-northwest breeze keeping the snow dry and grippy instead of sun-baked and heavy. Up high, that translates into classic Jackson chalk in the wind-exposed steeps and soft, settled powder in the trees and leeward bowls; down low you’ll find packed powder on the pistes with occasional firm spots where traffic and wind line up. Think “edgeable and fast with pockets of fluff,” not “ice rink” or “slop.”
Looking ahead, the pattern leans friendly for riders. Over the coming five days, forecasts show mainly cold midwinter temperatures with a mix of partly sunny stretches and periodic snow chances, especially at upper elevations. Expect daytime highs at resort level roughly in the 20s to low 30s Fahrenheit, dropping well below freezing at night, which is perfect for preserving the snowpack and letting the groomers lay down that early-morning hero cord. Storm systems brushing the Tetons are expected to drop light to moderate accumulations rather than full-on dumpage, but multiple shots of a couple inches here and there add up quickly in this terrain and keep off-piste lines refreshed. Higher up around 10,000 feet, temps stay solidly wintery with occasional single digits, so the summit snow should stay dry and chalky, not mashed.
Season-to-date, Jackson Hole has already cruised past the 200-inch mark at the summit, with roughly 58 inches in the last couple of weeks alone, turning what started as a weird, warm early season into a legitimately strong midwinter base. Locals who suffered through rain and glop down low in December have shifted back into full storm-chaser mode, and the snowpack is now deep enough to cover most sharks in the classic lines. That said, it’s still a complex Teton snowpack, so if you’re heading beyond the ropes, treat it like serious business: check the Bridger-Teton avalanche forecast, carry full gear, and know that recent storms and wind can easily set up new slabs and touchy layers off-piste and in the backcountry.
For inbounds skiers and riders, the punchline is simple: expect predominantly packed powder on piste, soft chalk and pockets of powder off-piste, almost everything open, cold temps, and frequent little refreshes. Bring warm layers, a good face mask, and goggles with low-light lenses for stormy spells, but keep the sunnies handy—January in Jackson is famous for that magic combo of deep snow and surprise bluebird windows. This is exactly the kind of week
Daily Ski Conditions for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming
Jackson Hole is very much “on” right now, and locals are smiling under frosty facemasks. The upper mountain is stacked with midwinter snow, while the base finally looks properly white instead of early-season thin. As of the latest resort-style report, you’re looking at roughly 28 cm of snow at the base and a deep 228 cm up high, with new snow recently labeled “new snow” quality rather than old chalk or manmade hardpack. That fresh refresh is exactly what this place needed after some mixed-precip events earlier in the season, and it’s skiing like classic January Tetons again. Thirteen of thirteen lifts are spinning and about 95 percent of the terrain is open, so from groomer laps on Apres Vous to steeps off Sublette and Thunder, you’ve basically got the playground unlocked and ready to explore, including a fully open valley run back to Teton Village. Parks are still lagging a bit, with the fun park closed for now, but if you came for pow lanes and natural hits, you’re winning anyway.
In the last 24 hours the mountain picked up around 8 cm, just enough to buff out bumps, fill in old tracks, and turn groomers into that dreamy, carvable cord with a light layer of velvet on top. Over the last couple of days, storm totals have been solid rather than epic, with the bigger story being how cold it’s stayed: partly sunny, single digits to low 20s Fahrenheit, and a moderate west-northwest breeze keeping the snow dry and grippy instead of sun-baked and heavy. Up high, that translates into classic Jackson chalk in the wind-exposed steeps and soft, settled powder in the trees and leeward bowls; down low you’ll find packed powder on the pistes with occasional firm spots where traffic and wind line up. Think “edgeable and fast with pockets of fluff,” not “ice rink” or “slop.”
Looking ahead, the pattern leans friendly for riders. Over the coming five days, forecasts show mainly cold midwinter temperatures with a mix of partly sunny stretches and periodic snow chances, especially at upper elevations. Expect daytime highs at resort level roughly in the 20s to low 30s Fahrenheit, dropping well below freezing at night, which is perfect for preserving the snowpack and letting the groomers lay down that early-morning hero cord. Storm systems brushing the Tetons are expected to drop light to moderate accumulations rather than full-on dumpage, but multiple shots of a couple inches here and there add up quickly in this terrain and keep off-piste lines refreshed. Higher up around 10,000 feet, temps stay solidly wintery with occasional single digits, so the summit snow should stay dry and chalky, not mashed.
Season-to-date, Jackson Hole has already cruised past the 200-inch mark at the summit, with roughly 58 inches in the last couple of weeks alone, turning what started as a weird, warm early season into a legitimately strong midwinter base. Locals who suffered through rain and glop down low in December have shifted back into full storm-chaser mode, and the snowpack is now deep enough to cover most sharks in the classic lines. That said, it’s still a complex Teton snowpack, so if you’re heading beyond the ropes, treat it like serious business: check the Bridger-Teton avalanche forecast, carry full gear, and know that recent storms and wind can easily set up new slabs and touchy layers off-piste and in the backcountry.
For inbounds skiers and riders, the punchline is simple: expect predominantly packed powder on piste, soft chalk and pockets of powder off-piste, almost everything open, cold temps, and frequent little refreshes. Bring warm layers, a good face mask, and goggles with low-light lenses for stormy spells, but keep the sunnies handy—January in Jackson is famous for that magic combo of deep snow and surprise bluebird windows. This is exactly the kind of week