Snow Totals as of Wednesday Morning:

The Tetons and the valleys picked up another 1-3 inches of snow on Tuesday, mainly during the morning hours, with partial clearing in the afternoon. Snow has picked up again on Wednesday morning across the Southern Tetons, but did not really begin until after 5am snow reports were issued.

Here are the latest 48-hour snow totals, most of which fell between Monday morning and midday Tuesday:

• 9" - Jackson Hole Rendezvous Bowl
• 9" - Jackson Hole Raymer Plot
• 9" - Surprise Lake (GTNP)
• 8" - Grand Targhee Chief Joseph Bowl
• 7" - Jackson Hole Mid-Mountain
• 5" - Togwotee Pass
• 4" - Snow King
• 3" - Jackson Hole Base

The Rendezvous Bowl Plot has received 79 inches of snow so far in March, which is already above the long-term monthly average of 65 inches. Based on the upcoming forecast, there is a good chance this will end up in the top 5 for snowiest March's at this location with records dating back to 1975. The all-time March record of 154 inches set in 2011 is probably out of reach, though. 

Forecast for Wednesday to Wednesday Night:

An area of low pressure is currently located over Northern Utah and southerly winds ahead of this low are transporting moisture into the Southern Tetons and Southern Jackson Hole Valley where snow is falling on Wednesday morning. This is snow is confined to southern areas so far whereas Targhee is dry with the sun peeking out as of this writing.

This low will move northward as the day progresses and will move across Northwest Wyoming on Wednesday afternoon and evening with snow becoming more widespread throughout the region, on both sides of the range.

The atmosphere will also become unstable on Wednesday afternoon, which could result in some localized bands of heavy snow and locally gusty winds. I also wouldn't rule out some lightning strikes during the afternoon and early evening hours.

Snow will continue through the overnight hours as well with winds becoming westerly.

Here is my snow forecast for Wednesday morning through Thursday morning:

• 5-9" - Jackson Hole above 8,000 feet
• 4-7" - Snow King
• 3-6" - Grand Targhee
• 2-4" - Jackson Hole Valley
• 1-2" - Teton Valley

Snow quality will be medium-density with average snow-liquid ratios of around 11:1. Temperatures at 9,000 feet will peak in the mid 20s on Wednesday afternoon before falling into the mid teens on Wednesday night. Valley high temps will reach the mid 30s on Wednesday afternoon before falling into the mid 20s on Wednesday night.

Ridgetop winds will generally be light on Wednesday out of the south during the daytime hours, becoming west/southwest on Wednesday night.

Forecast for Thursday to Thursday Night:

A storm will reach the Pacific Northwest on Thursday and we will remain in a moist westerly flow in between Wednesday's storm and this next storm approaching from the west. As a result, snow showers will continue throughout the day on Thursday and into Thursday night.

Snow will be more orographic in nature, favoring the western side of the range including Targhee and the upper eastern side of the range with less snow for the JH Valley and Snow King.

However, the atmosphere will also be unstable on Thursday afternoon, which could result in isolated heavier snow showers at times on both sides of the range. I also wouldn't rule out some lightning activity on Thursday afternoon, though the threat will be lower compared to Wednesday. 

Here is my snow forecast for Thursday morning through Friday morning:

• 5-10" - Grand Targhee
• 4-7" - Jackson Hole above 8,000 feet
• 1-3" - Teton Valley
• 1-2" - Snow King
• TR-1" - Jackson Hole Valley

Snow quality will be lower-density on Thursday compared to recent days with snow-liquid ratios of around 14:1. This will result in excellent skiing conditions on top of snow from prior days. 

High temps on Thursday will reach the low 20s at 9,000 feet with overnight lows in the low teens. Valley high temps will reach the upper 30s on Thursday with overnight lows in the low 20s.

Ridgetop winds will be a bit stronger on Thursday-Thursday night out of the west to west/southwest at 10-20 mph with gusts to 25-30 mph.

Forecast for Friday to Friday Night:

Snow will become a bit more widespread during the day on Friday as the storm over the PNW moves across the Northern and Central Rockies. A cold front will also move through around midday with temperatures trending downward behind the front.

Snow showers will continue through Friday night as well, with overnight activity becoming more orographic in nature and favoring the western slopes and upper east slopes of the Tetons.

Here is my snow forecast for Friday morning through Saturday morning:

• 4-7" - Jackson Hole above 8,000 feet
• 4-7" - Grand Targhee
• 1-3" - Snow King
• 1-3" - Teton Valley
• 1-2" - Jackson Hole Valley

Snow quality will be dry and powdery on Friday with snow-liquid ratios of around 15:1. This may end up being the deepest day of the week, though more snow in the days to follow will keep conditions soft and deep through the weekend as well.

Temperatures at 9,000 feet will peak in the low teens on Friday morning before gradually trending downward through the afternoon and bottoming out near zero on Friday night. Valley high temps will reach the upper 20s on Friday with overnight lows in the teens.

Ridgetop winds on Friday will be out of the west/southwest at 10-20 mph with gusts to 30-40 mph at times, becoming more westerly and remaining gusty on Friday night. Valley winds will also pick up a bit on Friday compared to prior days.

Three-Day Snow Totals from Wednesday AM to Saturday AM:

Total snowfall over the next three days will generally range from 1-2 feet in the Tetons above 8,000 feet, 6-12 inches at Snow King, and 3-8 inches in the valleys.

Here is my day-to-day forecast breakdown:

Travel Conditions:

Consistent winter travel can be expected over Teton Pass from now through the weekend and cold temperatures will not allow for much melting over the upper portions of the pass during the afternoons, except maybe on Wednesday.

Road surfaces will feature a mix of snowpacked, slushy, and occasionally icy conditions. Minor blowing snow can be expected on Wednesday and Thursday, with more significant blowing snow on Friday as winds pick up a bit and snow becomes more powdery. Be prepared for possible road closures due to accidents and/or avalanche control.

Valley roads will be snowpacked and icy during the morning hours over the next several days with melting occurring during the afternoons. Blowing snow can be expected at times in open areas starting on Thursday, with more widespread concerns on Friday. 

Forecast for Saturday to Sunday:

A trailing storm will move from the PNW into the Central Rockies this weekend, resulting in more snow on both Saturday and Sunday. For now, I'm expecting additional amounts during this 2-day period to range from 3-7 inches in the Tetons and 1-2 inches in the valleys, but stay tuned for updates moving forward.

Temperatures will also be unseasonably cold this weekend with high temperatures likely not getting out of the single digits at 9,000 feet, while valley high temps will only be in the mid 20s (this is 20+ degrees below average).

Skiing conditions will remain very good this weekend, but be sure to bundle up as if it were early January rather than late March. 

Outlook for March 27th and Beyond:

We will likely see a brief lull in the pattern early next week around Monday (March 27th). However, this lull is looking shorter than previously expected. Yesterday, I mentioned that a storm was projected to linger off the West Coast with only the Canadian Model projecting it to move inland and impact the Tetons.

Since that time, the European and American GFS Models have trended toward the Canadian solution and all three of these major models are now projecting the storm to reach our area next Tuesday-Wednesday (March 28-29) with more snow possible.

Temperatures will moderate during this early week period (March 27-29) but will still be colder than average for late March.

Looking further out, an active pattern looks to continue through early April with additional snow chances and below-average temperatures.

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Thursday (March 24).

ALAN SMITH