Jackson Hole Weather May 31-June 6, 2022

JACKSON, Wyo. — A very wet and chilly holiday weekend has carried over into Tuesday, but the pattern will soon be changing with warmer days ahead from Wednesday through Friday. Shower and thunderstorm potential will increase over the weekend, but temperatures will only cool off only slightly with snow levels likely staying above 10,000-11,000 feet.

May 23-30 Recap

Memorial Day weekend was very wet and cool across Jackson Hole and Northwest Wyoming. We did have a few nice days last week with highs in the 70s, but a slow-moving storm system arrived over the holiday weekend with three straight days of significant rainfall along with snow for some areas.

Rainfall and liquid-equivalent precipitation totals over the past week include 1.38 inches in Jackson and 1.79 inches in Moran. While May has been an unsettled month overall, this was by far the wettest week of the month.

Snow accumulated in the Tetons over the weekend as well with snow totals above 9,000 feet ranging from 6-10 inches (not including what melted during breaks in the snowfall). Snow levels even dipped down to the Northern Jackson Hole Valley at times where Moran reported an inch of snow on Monday morning.

Temperatures started out below average early last week with highs in the 50s in the valley, before warming up into the 70s from Wednesday through Friday. Temperatures then fell significantly over the holiday weekend with highs only in the 40s to 50s.

The warmest temperature in Jackson last week was 79ºF on Thursday, May 26 while the coldest temperature of the week was 24ºF on both Tuesday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 25.

May 2022 Monthly Recap

The month of May was colder than average for the second month in a row while precipitation was near to slightly above average. Snowfall was also slightly above average.

It was an unsettled month overall with frequent light precipitation occurring over most of the month, with heavier precipitation during the final few days of the month. Precipitation was recorded at the Jackson weather station on 17 out of 31 days in May.

Temperatures in Jackson for the month of May were 2.6ºF below average. The average high was 57.2ºF compared to a long-term average of 63.9ºF, while the average low was 33.0ºF compared to a historical average of 31.5ºF (the higher low temperatures this month were likely due to frequent cloud cover).

High temperatures during the month of May ranged from 35ºF on May 9 to 79ºF on May 26. Low temperatures during the month of May ranged from 18ºF on May 21 to 48ºF on May 27.

The Town of Jackson recorded 2.19 inches of precipitation in May, which is right around the average value of 2.20 inches. Precipitation was above average at the Moran weather station, where 3.14 inches was recorded compared to an average of 2.36 inches.

Generally speaking, May precipitation was more significant the further north you go with Yellowstone receiving 130-200% of average precipitation.

The Rendezvous Bowl Plot at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s upper mountain above 9,000 feet received 35 inches of snow during the month of May, which is slightly above the average of 31 inches.

The Town of Jackson also received 1.1 inches of snow in May (back on May 10) which is above the long-term average of 0.6 inches.

Total snowfall from October 1 through May 31 at the Rendezvous Bowl Plot was 423 inches, which is below the long-term average of 495 inches but an improvement compared to where we stood relative to average at the end of March.

The Town of Jackson finished with an October-May total of 70.9 inches, which is just slightly below the average of 75.2 inches.

Despite the light winter for snowfall, colder than average temperatures over the past two months along with higher than average snowfall has resulted in a more delayed snowmelt than usual. As a result, snowpack values are actually close to average at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort above 8,000 feet. For the Snake River Basin as a whole, snowpack is 116% of average as of May 31.

Teton County remains under a severe to extreme drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. On the plus side, a cool and wet spring that looks to continue into June, thanks in part to a stronger spring La Niña, should lead to a delayed fire season this year.

This is also your annual reminder that while both are important, spring and summer weather ultimately has a stronger influence on summer fire danger compared to the winter snowpack.

Forecast for Tuesday (5/31) to Monday (6/6)

Cool and cloudy conditions have prevailed throughout the day on Tuesday as an area of low pressure lingers over the Rocky Mountains. We ended up staying dry for most of the day, but showers have developed once again on Tuesday afternoon.

We made it up to 51 for a high in Jackson on Tuesday afternoon, but snow levels have risen to around 9,000 feet and roads are wet over Teton Pass with rain (perhaps mixed with non-accumulating snow) falling.

Our extended stretch of cool and wet weather will relent during the middle of the week as a weak ridge of high pressure builds over the area, resulting in warmer and drier conditions on Wednesday and Thursday.

Highs will reach the low 60s on Wednesday afternoon and low 70s on Thursday. There is a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm on Wednesday afternoon, while Thursday is looking completely dry.

Friday will be another nice day with highs reaching the mid 70s, but scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible in the afternoon as the first in a series of Pacific disturbances approaches.

Shower and thunderstorm chances will then increase on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as frequent disturbances continue to move through. However, temperatures will only cool off slightly (as opposed to this past weekend) with highs in the 60s and snow levels will remain high (above 10 or 11k feet). Also, rainfall will not be as persistent compared to the past several days.

Afternoon thunderstorm potential does look greater this weekend compared to last weekend, though, so plan your activities wisely to reduce your exposure to lightning danger.

Extended Outlook

A relatively cool and unsettled pattern is likely to prevail through much of next week with near daily chances for showers and thunderstorms. Overall, we may see a gradual trend toward warmer temperatures and lower rain chances late next week but confidence is low at this time.

Alan Smith, Meteorologist