JACKSON, Wyo. — April 2020 was another active weather month for Jackson Hole as winter did not let go easily. Temperatures during the month of April were well below average across Teton County and snowfall was above average, while liquid precipitation was also near to above average for most areas.
Jackson Hole saw just about every kind of weather in April, including snow, chilly temperatures, rain, thunderstorms, “thundersnow” and even a few nice and warm days thrown in. The first three weeks of April, in particular, were much colder than average, while the final week of the month was nice and warm with more seasonal temperatures.
Temperatures were several degrees below average in both the valley and across the higher elevations. The weather station at the top of the tram even recorded two days with below zero temperatures in mid-April.
Town of Jackson (elevation 6,240 ft.) – April 2020 Temperatures:
- Average High: 47.5 (normal: 53.8)
- Average Low: 23.2 (normal: 25.7)
- Departure from Average: – 4.5
- Warmest Day: 69 on April 30
- Coldest Day: 6 on April 13
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Summit (elevation 10,380 ft.) – April 2020 Temperatures:
- Average High: 26.2 (normal: 31.8)
- Average Low: 15.4 (normal: 16.9)
- Departure from Average: – 3.6
- Warmest Day: 46 on April 30
- Coldest Day: – 5 on April 14
Liquid precipitation amounts were right around average in the valley and above average in the mountains. Moisture and water levels are in good shape heading into the summer months across the region. Interestingly enough, Teton County was a wet anomaly in April, as most of the Western U.S. was drier than average.
April 2020 Liquid-Equivalent Precipitation Totals:
- Rendezvous Bowl: 7.09 inches
- Phillips Bench: 5.50 inches (normal: 3.50 inches)
- Jackson Lake: 2.22 inches (normal: 2.04 inches)
- Town of Jackson: 1.22 inches (normal: 1.28 inches)
April 2020 Snowfall:
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Rendezvous Bowl plot, located at an elevation of 9,580 feet, recorded 74 inches of snowfall in April, which is above the long-term average of 61 inches. The town of Jackson picked up 4.8 inches of snowfall in April, which is well above the long-term average of 2.9 inches.
Here is a look at snowfall totals relative to average at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s upper mountain, mid-mountain, base area and also in the town of Jackson. This was the fourth month in a row with above-average snowfall in Jackson Hole!
Season-to-date snowfall is also well above average for the Teton Mountains and Jackson Hole. The Rendezvous Bowl plot has recorded an impressive 573 inches of snow for the winter. The town of Jackson has record 110.8 inches of snow, which is also well above average.
Settled snow depths remain above average across all elevations as of April 30, though the snowpack is starting to show a noticeable dip for the first time after a warmer finish to April.
Warm weather during the past few days of April has accelerated snowmelt, and the Snake River flow has seen a big spike in recent days as a result. As of May 1, the flow rate in the Snake River near Alpine is 9,600 CFS, which is well above the average value for the date of 5,070 CFS.
The long-range weather outlook favors warmer than average temperatures through mid-May, which will help to accelerate snowmelt and runoff in the coming weeks.
