Welcome to the 2020-2021 Jackson Hole Daily Snow! I'll be posting forecasts daily throughout the winter season to help you plan your powder days in the Tetons.

Current Conditions:

A series of powerful storms earlier this month brought 70" of snow to Jackson Hole's Rendezvous Bowl Plot at 9,580 ft. from November 7-16. In the days following this pattern, warmer temperatures led to a declining lower mountain snowpack while the snowpack above 9,000 ft. remains above average for the date. 

Our NEW interactive snow depth map (available with an All-Access Membership) is quite accurate for Jackson Hole and gives a good idea of the current snow depths at various elevations and areas on the mountain. Snow depth at the base area and adjacent valley is slightly exaggerated at this time (reported depth in Teton Village is 8" compared to the 10-12" the map shows), but otherwise, the estimates for mid to upper mountain are on point.

Short-Term Forecast (Mon, Nov 23 – Sun, Nov 29):

We're in a relatively quiet pattern this week with one good chance for meaningful snow right before Jackson Hole opens for the season on Thursday.

First things first, a very weak system will move across the Northern Rockies on Monday, but we will see very little if any snow out of it – mainly just some isolated light snow showers or flurries on Monday evening that will amount to an inch or less.

On Tuesday, we'll dry out in between systems with partly cloudy skies and cold temperatures in place. 

Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday night is when we'll see our best chance of snow this week as a fast-moving system approaches from the west.

There are a few things we'll have working for us with this system, including cold temperatures, which will support more "efficient" snowfall production and higher snow-liquid ratios, good storm energy, and favorable west/southwest winds. 

However, the downsides are that available moisture will not be all that great and the storm will also be fast-moving, giving us a relatively short window of good snowfall.

Model spread on precipitation and snow amounts is rather large, so there is some high-end "boom" potential if things come together just right. Here are a range of possibilities from models that are a part of the North America Ensemble Forecast System, with average liquid precipitation amounts of around 0.3-0.4 inches. Snow-liquid ratios should be in the 13:1 to 15:1 range (i.e. 1" of liquid = 15" of snow), so 6 inches of snow is not out of the question

For now, I'm keeping expectations modest due to the uncertainties mentioned, and I expect snow amounts from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning to range from 2-6 inches, enough to offer some soft turns for Thursday's opening day. Light snow could linger through the morning hours on Thursday, with clearing conditions likely on Thursday afternoon.

After Thursday, we will head into a dry pattern for the remainder of the holiday weekend, with warmer temperatures expected on the mountain while the base area could remain locked into an inversion with colder temperatures.

Extended Forecast (Nov 30 - Dec 6):

The pattern is looking rather dry and boring through the first week of December as a ridge of high pressure dominates the pattern across the Western U.S. A weak storm could bring some light snow around December 1st and it's possible we could see another weak storm later in the period, but overall the pattern will not be conducive to significant snow.

Some of the long-range models are hinting at a shift to more active weather by mid-December, but model skill beyond 2 weeks is low so I won't start to feel confident about any pattern changes until we start to see some consistent signs within the 2-week window. 

Thanks for reading and check back each morning for daily updates!

ALAN SMITH

Snow conditions as of Monday morning:

New snow Upper Mountain:
* 0” (24 hours)

New snow Mid Mountain:
* 0” (24 hours)

Base:
* 35" Upper Mountain (9,580 ft.)
* 25" Mid Mountain (8,180 ft.)

Terrain
* Opening for the Season on Thursday, November 26

Snowpack compared to 1974-2019 average:
* 113% of average Upper Mountain
* 96% of average Mid Mountain

NEW: Avalanche Forecasts

Many folks have requested this over the past year and we're excited to now show avalanche forecasts for regions across North America. 

You can use our map view to see a quick overview of the avalanche forecast conditions and you can also go back in time for the last 7 days to see how the avalanche conditions have changed by using the slider at the bottom of the map.

Also, we integrated the avalanche forecast into each mountain location page under a new tab called "Avalanche Forecast". 

The avalanche forecasts are freely available and are the foundation of any backcountry experience. Please check these forecasts each time you head out of controlled terrain! 

You can view the avalanche forecasts right now on our website and they will be live on our iPhone and Android apps very soon.