JACKSON, Wyo. — Frigid conditions are hitting the Tetons. The temperature hit -20 degrees this morning at 8:15 a.m. at the Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), according to the National Weather Service. As of 2:10 p.m., the temperature at JAC is now 3 degrees.
Buckrail Photographer Nick Sulzer snapped these pictures of the frozen landscape and some snow-covered bison this morning.
Bison manage to survive harsh temperatures through a number of adaptations, including their thick coats that protect them from the elements. It is said that a bison’s winter coat is so thick and provides insulation so effective that when snow accumulates on its coat, it will not melt from the heat of the bison’s skin.
Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center reported a peak gust of 96 mph from the southwest on top of Rendezvous Mountain at 7 a.m. yesterday morning along with a minimum temperature of -51 degrees.
According to the National Weather Service, an Arctic blast of dangerous and life-threatening cold will consume much of the Lower 48 over the next few days with 280 million people under some form of winter weather warnings or advisories across the U.S.
