Weather
A strong spring storm will bring the Northern Rockies a meaningful shot of fresh snow from Wednesday afternoon through Friday afternoon, with the deepest totals landing around 17-23 in at Big Sky, 15-21 in at Grand Targhee, and 14-19 in at Jackson Hole. Snow starts wet and fairly dense Wednesday as snow levels hover near 6,500-7,000 feet, then turns colder and better Thursday night into Friday as snow levels sink toward 3,000-4,000 feet. Thursday looks raw and windy, especially in Idaho, before a fast warmup and dry stretch take over for the weekend and early next week.
Wednesday starts with scattered higher-elevation snow and rain, but confidence is highest from Wednesday afternoon through Friday afternoon as a colder, stronger wave crosses the region. The guidance is closely aligned on the storm’s broad timing, on snow levels falling from roughly 6,500-7,500 feet to near 3,000-4,000 feet, and on widespread mountain gusts in the 25-35 mph range with localized 40-45 mph gusts in south Idaho on Thursday. It still diverges on where the heaviest band sets up, which keeps the biggest upside centered on Big Sky, the Tetons, Bridger Bowl, and parts of west-central Idaho. Most resorts should land in the 8-16 in range, with the best shots at 17-23 in where wraparound snow lingers longest. Snow quality also improves with time, starting with SLRs mostly in the 5-9 range for dense snow Wednesday, then rising into the 10-14 range Thursday and locally 14-17 by Friday morning for a lighter finish.
From Friday afternoon through Monday, the guidance tightens up considerably and points to a fast return to drier, warmer spring weather. Lingering snow showers fade Friday, skies brighten through Saturday, and temperatures rebound from teens and 20s Friday morning to 40s and low 50s at resort elevations by Sunday and Monday. For the areas still spinning lifts, Friday morning should offer the best shot at fresh turns before the new snow settles and the weekend shifts back toward classic spring skiing with softer afternoons and much lighter wind.
Confidence drops again after Tuesday. The broader signal still favors a warmer-than-normal background state, but there is also a renewed chance for mountain snow around next Wednesday into Thursday. That later period is not locked in yet, because the guidance diverges on timing, coverage, snow levels, and wind, with the better odds currently aimed at Montana and the Tetons rather than Idaho. The conservative read is for another light to moderate round at favored higher terrain, generally a few inches with a path to 6-12 in if the stronger scenario verifies.
Resort Forecast Totals (Wed Apr 01 – Fri Apr 03)
- Big Sky – 17-23 in
- Grand Targhee – 15-21 in
- Jackson Hole – 14-19 in
- Brundage – 12-16 in
- Bridger Bowl – 10-14 in
- Tamarack – 9-12 in
- Schweitzer – 8-11 in
- Bogus Basin – 8-11 in
- Whitefish Mountain – 7-10 in
- Sun Valley – 5-7 in
