JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Just how snowy of a winter has it been so far?

Some 17 power poles were downed on Teton Village Road during a winter storm in early February 2017. (Lower Valley Energy)

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is currently reporting 344 inches this season. Not tremendously impressive numbers but considering the average December and January snowfall, we’re making up for lost time quickly.

In fact, since Punxsutawney Phil made his Groundhog Day prediction of an early spring it’s been nothing but full-on winter rage in Jackson Hole. We are on track to break snowfall records we broke in February 2017 and, if you’ll remember, that’s not all we broke that month.

What’s been impressive about this winter is the amount of snowfall on the valley floor. It is in direct contrast to the winter of 2017-18 when we maintained a decent snowpack up high while remaining brown and dry at 6,200 feet.

Last week, a two-day snowstorm dumped more snow on city streets in a 48-hour span than we’ve seen in more than 114 years. So much that two in-town slides were recorded yesterday, and another today briefly blocked one lane of traffic on Highway 89 near Rafter J.

Slide on east of Nelson Drive reportedly triggered by a dog. (Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center)
Taco Bell chute lets go just behind the new Miazgas. (Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center)

Road closures for weather conditions and avalanche mitigation have become a regular thing for the past two weeks. This week may top them all before we’re done. The National Weather Service has extended the Winter Storm Warning out until Saturday.

Sears collapse (Chris Kitchen, KGB Productions)

You might want to shovel off those roofs. We don’t need another Sears.

And, skrrt, it’s not just Jackson. Between the Polar Vortex that sent the Midwest into a deep freeze recently, and the fact that we are now naming our winter storms like hurricanes they have become so significant, the Winter of 2018-19 is shaping up to be one for the books.

Need further proof? It just snowed in Hawaii.