A slow-moving area of low pressure is setting up southwest of Jackson Hole and this will result in cool and unsettled weather on Wednesday and Thursday with periods of snow showers.
However, winds will be out of the southeast or northeast for most of this event, and winds with an easterly component are unfavorable for snow in the Tetons (we do better when winds have a westerly component).
Instead, most of the snow and precipitation will fall along and east of the Continental Divide, including the Wind River Range, while areas south of Jackson Hole such as Star Valley and the Salt River Range will also see heavier precipitation on Wednesday.
Snow is falling in the Jackson Hole Valley on Wednesday morning and we could see up to a half-inch or so, and some valley areas could even pick up close to an inch before melting off in the afternoon. The Tetons could see up to 2 inches of new snow.
Similar conditions are expected on Thursday with cloudy skies and off-and-on snow showers. Snow amounts in Jackson Hole and the Tetons will be light with dusting amounts in the valley and maybe a couple of inches up high. Highs on Wednesday and Thursday will be in the low 40s in the valley.
We’ll start to break out of this pattern on Friday with skies becoming mostly sunny, while temperatures will remain on the chilly side of average for mid-April. Warmer temperatures can be expected over the weekend with highs in the 50s under mostly sunny skies.
Another weak disturbance will drop in out of the north on Sunday night and Monday with light snow showers possible, but only light amounts are expected as most of the action will happen east of the Continental Divide.
The remainder of next week should feature a mix of sunny days interspersed with more unsettled “showery” days, but the pattern does not look conducive for significant precipitation.
Alan Smith, Meteorologist
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