JACKSON, Wyo. — On winter mornings, a blanket of clouds hovering over the Jackson Hole Valley is a sure sign of a temperature inversion: when the air in the valley is colder than the air above it.
This phenomenon occurs because cold air is denser than warm air and therefore it sinks and fills in lower elevation areas. A temperature inversion is more likely when the sky is clear and the wind is calm, according to the National Weather Service. An inversion typically happens in the late afternoon/early evening (before sunset) and lingers into the next morning (after sunrise) for a few hours.
According to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, temperatures on the upper mountain can be 30 to 40 degrees warmer than at the valley floor. Often a sight seen from Teton Pass or the Jackson Hole Tram, inversions make for a dramatic view at higher elevations.
This week’s increase in wind and snow prevents a temperature inversion from occurring.
According to Buckrail Meteorologist Alan Smith, the valley’s weather pattern is changing in a big way as a series of cold storms originating in the Gulf of Alaska are heading our way.
Smith’s weather forecast can be viewed here.
