Jackson Hole Weather Nov 7-13, 2022

A strong storm system last weekend deposited up to 20 inches of new snow in the Tetons along with several inches of snow in the valley. Another storm cycle is underway this week with periods of moderate to heavy snow expected through Wednesday, followed by very cold temperatures this weekend.

November 1-7 Recap

Last week started out relatively mild with what will likely turn out to be our last 50-degree temperatures of the year. A cold front moved through last Wednesday, signaling a shift to a more winter-like pattern, followed by a significant storm on Friday night and Saturday.

Snow totals during the Friday night-Saturday storm hit 20 inches at both Jackson Hole’s upper mountain and at Grand Targhee, while the valley picked up several inches of snow before precipitation turned to a rain/snow mix on Saturday afternoon.

As of Monday morning, total snowfall over the previous seven days included 24 inches at Grand Targhee, 21-24 inches at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s upper mountain, 18 inches at JHMR’s mid-mountain and 3-7 inches in the Jackson Hole Valley.

Another storm arrived on Monday and was producing heavy snow in the Tetons along with a rain/snow mix in the valley, though light accumulations have occurred on the valley floor. Up high, snow reports are not available as of Monday evening but the forecast was for 6-12 inches of new snow above 8,000 feet.

High temperatures in the valley over the previous week ranged from 36ºF on November 2 to 55ºF on November 1, while low temperatures ranged from 13ºF on November 3 to 26ºF on November 2.

Total liquid-equivalent precipitation in Jackson over the seven-day period ending Monday morning was 0.50 inches and total snowfall was 2.7 inches.

Forecast for Tuesday (11/8) to Monday (11/14)

A storm system will continue to impact the Tetons on Tuesday and Wednesday as several impulses of moisture and energy from the Pacific arrive from the southwest.

Snow is likely to continue through the first half of the day on Tuesday at least, with some possible lulls in the afternoon. Temperatures will warm up enough in the afternoon for lingering showers to transition over to rain in the valley.

The warm surge from the south is expected to peak on Tuesday evening as another uptick in precipitation occurs with rain (or a rain/snow mix) continuing in the valley while heavy, wet snow falls up high. The rain/snow line could reach as high as 7,000 feet.

Late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, a stronger cold front will arrive with snow levels falling back to the valley floor. Periods of moderate to heavy snow will then continue through midday Wednesday with light accumulations expected in the valley as well.

Winds will be gusty throughout the day on Wednesday, which combined with snow and falling temperatures will lead to challenging travel conditions over Teton Pass, especially in the morning.

From Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon, lingering moisture will result in additional light to moderate snow showers favoring the higher elevations and western slopes, while the valley will see more intermittent periods of flurries or light snow showers.

Lingering snow showers will come to an end by Thursday evening, and once this happens, get ready for the cold! A significant early season cold snap is set to take hold as modified arctic air spills in from the north, and we will also head into a dry pattern to close out the week.

Highs on Friday will be in the mid 20s in the valley before falling below zero for the first time this year on Friday night. On average, the first subzero temperature in Jackson occurs in late November, so we’ll be a couple of weeks ahead of schedule this year.

On Saturday, an inversion is likely to persist all day with highs struggling to get out of the teens in the valley. On Sunday, a weak cold front in the upper atmosphere should weaken the inversion somewhat, but temperatures will remain below average for mid-November.

On Monday, it’s possible we could see a weak storm system approach with a chance of light snow, but confidence is low at this time.

Extended Outlook

Next week, confidence is high that a colder than average pattern will continue while moisture will remain limited. The door will be open for weak systems to move into the Western U.S. on occasion, which could bring light snow to the Tetons, but the pattern does not look conducive to strong storms.

Alan Smith, Meteorologist