Note: I will be scaling back the frequency of my posts moving forward as ski season gradually starts to wind down. I will also be traveling this weekend and will not be writing a weekend post as a result. My next post will be on Monday (April 1).

Recent Snow Totals:

Additional snowfall on Thursday ranged from 2-5 inches, bringing storm totals to 3-8 inches with the southern end of the Teton Range seeing the highest totals. Snowfall was on the denser side (10:1 snow-liquid ratios) which is good late in the season as it helps to cover up old crusts more easily. 

Here are the latest 48-hour snow totals as of Friday AM:

• 8" - Jackson Hole - Raymer Plot
• 7" - Jackson Hole - Rendezvous Bowl
• 7" - Teton Pass West
• 6" - Jackson Hole - Mid-Mountain
• 6" - Surprise Meadow
• 4" - Snow King
• 4" - Togwotee Pass
• 3" - Jackson Hole - Base
• 3" - Grand Targhee - Chief Joseph Bowl
• 3" - Grand Targhee - Base (Snow Stake)
• 1" - Jackson
• 0.9" - Driggs

Forecast for Friday:

We will see a break in the pattern with a mix of sun and clouds. There will be enough sun to impact snow conditions on south-facing and lower-elevation terrain, while north-facing and shaded terrain above 8,000 feet should hang onto "fresher" snow conditions.

We may see a few light snow showers/flurries develop in the afternoon, but any accumulations will be minimal. This activity will develop as the atmosphere becomes unstable with daytime heating during the afternoon (convective snow showers).

High temps will reach the upper 20s at 9,000 feet and low 40s in the valleys. Winds will also be lighter compared to the past two days.

Forecast for Saturday:

The first of two storms will arrive from the south early on Saturday morning, with snow beginning over the southern Teton Range right around dawn.

This will be a fairly weak storm and most of the snow will fall during the morning hours, but with winds out of the south, the shadowing effect of the Tetons will be negated and the JH Valley will pick up some light accumulations during the morning hours.

With southerly winds, Snow King (who is closed for the season, but still open to uphill access) often picks up similar snow totals to the top of JHMR, whereas Targhee typically does not do as well. 

Snowfall will be most widespread in the morning, then will taper off to more intermittent snow showers on Saturday afternoon with a lull in the pattern expected on Saturday night.

For snow totals, JHMR (mid to upper mtn) and Snow King will pick up 2-4 inches, while the JH Valley will see 1-2 inches in the morning. Targhee will also pick up 1-2 inches. Snow quality will be medium density early in the morning, becoming wetter in the afternoon.

Winds at 10,000 feet will be out of the south in the morning, becoming southwest in the afternoon with gusts to 20-25 mph.

Forecast for Sunday:

A stronger but more complex storm will arrive as an area of low pressure breaks away from a trough along the West Coast and moves across Idaho and Wyoming.

Winds will be blowing counterclockwise around the low pressure center, and the exact movement of the low will influence the direction the wind is blowing from in the Tetons, with minor fluctuations impacting our snow outlook.

The latest trends indicate a higher likelihood that we will see a period of southeast or easterly winds on Sunday morning. This would result in a continued lull in the pattern through the morning hours (aside from flurries).

However, a smaller percentage of models indicate south-to-southwest winds in the morning, so there is still a (slight) chance that we could see snow pick back up early in the day.

Most models have winds transitioning to a more favorable southwesterly direction by around midday and into the afternoon hours, at which point I'm expecting snowfall to really pick up.

Snow will likely continue well into the evening, though models are all over the place in terms of wind directions, varying from southwest to northwest (both of which are good for Teton snow, but can lead to local-scale variations).

For Sunday snowfall, I'm going with a forecast of 4-8 inches for JHMR and 3-7 inches for Targhee and this snow will be on the denser side (10:1 snow-liquid ratios). Peak wind gusts of 20-25 mph are expected at 10,000 feet.

Accumulations will be tougher to come by in the valleys with the heaviest snow projected during the warmest part of the day (afternoon/early evening), but if snow starts earlier in the morning than expected or persists late into Sunday night, then some light accumulations will be possible in the valleys.

In terms of skiing conditions, I would target Sunday afternoon or Monday morning, though there should be pockets of soft snow up high throughout the weekend thanks to recent snowfall.

Total Snowfall Saturday AM to Monday AM:

I'm expecting the southern end of the range, including Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Teton Pass, to see the deepest totals this weekend. Snow King will also pick up some decent snow and could offer some fun turns if you're willing to hike.

Here is my total snow forecast for the weekend:

Forecast breakdown for Saturday and Sunday:

Projection from a blend of weather models:

Statewide, the two weekend storms will have far-reaching impacts with significant snow expected for the Salt River, Wyoming, Gros Ventre, and Wind River Ranges west of the Divide, and over the Bighorn Range east of the Divide.

Good skiing conditions have been reported in the Bighorn Range recently, and Meadowlark and Antelope Butte will both have late-season powder to enjoy this weekend.

To our south, White Pine and Pine Creek will also see powder this weekend, as will Snowy Range near Laramie.

Conditions will dry out from Monday to Wednesday with increased sunshine along with warmer temperatures. Monday AM will offer some fresh snow, then we will see a transition to more spring-like conditions in the days to follow.

Wednesday looks like the warmest day with highs in the upper 30s to near 40 at 9,000 feet and low/mid 50s in the valleys. However, we may see cloud cover increase on Wednesday afternoon with some models indicating shower chances by late in the day as the next storm approaches.

The next storm is expected to move through in the Wednesday night to Friday timeframe with temperatures trending colder. Confidence is low in the details at this time, and it's too early to know if this will be a light snow event or a heavy snow event (or something in between).

The forecast heading into next weekend (April 6th-7th) is also uncertain, with some models drying us out while others are projecting an unsettled/showery pattern to linger.

Thanks so much for reading and have a great weekend! Next update on Monday (April 1).

Alan Smith 

Important Dates:

Snow King – CLOSED for the season (but open for uphill access)

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – Closing Day April 14

Grand Targhee – Closing Day April 21

Grand Teton Park Road – Open for bike and foot traffic, closed to cars until May 1

Static Peak and Other Winter Wildlife Closures – in effect until May 1

NEW: Snow Ratio Forecast

You can now get a good idea of the upcoming snow quality for the next storm via our new "Snow Ratio" forecast for any location in OpenSnow.

When we talk about snow quality, such as “light and fluffy” or “heavy and wet”, we are talking about the snow-to-liquid ratio. The higher the snow-to-liquid ratio, the lighter the snow quality, and vice-versa.

1. Go to any location screen and tap the "Snow Summary" tab.
2. Scroll down to the 5-day hourly or 10-day forecast section.
3. View the 5-day hourly or daily "Snow Ratio" forecast for the next 10 days.

10:1 will be fun but will feel a little heavy. 15:1 will offer some faceshots and feel pretty light. 20:1 will be incredibly light, almost like skiing through nothing but air.

This new feature is currently available with the latest version of the OpenSnow iOS app installed (App Store > OpenSnow > Update) or on the OpenSnow website (OpenSnow.com). It will be available in the OpenSnow Android app soon.

View → Snow Ratio Forecast