Weather
Ongoing cold, showery weather keeps the best new snow focused on the Teton and southwest Montana high terrain through early Saturday, while most Idaho resorts see only light showers and cold mornings. Confidence is strongest from Thursday evening, April 23, through Saturday morning, April 25, when the individual models are closely aligned on timing and broadly aligned on the Teton focus. Favored Teton terrain gets the largest totals listed below, Big Sky and Bridger Bowl pick up a few inches, and the open Idaho operations at Bogus Basin and Tamarack see little accumulation. Many larger resorts in the region are closed or temporarily closed, so these totals are mountain-weather guidance rather than an operating-terrain promise.
The storm is already underway across the Tetons, southwest Montana, and parts of central and northern Idaho, and it continues through Friday before tapering into Saturday morning. The individual models converge on the main snow band continuing Thursday night into Friday morning, with the strongest rates around Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole, Big Sky, and Bridger Bowl. They differ mainly on intensity at the top end, but not enough to change the basic forecast. Snow levels fall from roughly 4,000-6,000 feet early to near or below most resort bases overnight, so precipitation favors snow at ski elevations. Snow quality starts dense to moderate with SLRs near 9-12:1, then turns more moderate to light overnight and Friday morning with SLRs closer to 12-15:1. Gusty northwest winds, locally 30-45 mph on exposed ridges, will produce wind-affected surfaces.
Saturday looks cold and quieter after the main wave, with firm starts likely before daytime softening where the sun breaks through. The individual models still agree on lingering instability, but they diverge on how much shower activity survives into Sunday and Monday. That keeps confidence lower after Saturday morning: the most realistic outcome is scattered, light mountain snow showers favoring the Tetons, southwest Montana, and the Idaho Panhandle, generally adding a trace to a few inches rather than a widespread reload. Snow levels during showers rise toward about 4,500-6,500 feet by Sunday and Monday, and SLRs become more variable, from dense snow in warmer bursts to moderate snow in colder showers. Winds are less impactful than the Thursday-Friday wave, though occasional breezes can still texture exposed upper terrain.
From Tuesday through next weekend, the pattern trends warmer and less organized, with only weak and uneven snow signals. The individual models diverge more on timing and placement by midweek, with some keeping light showers over the Tetons and southwest Montana while others dry the region out faster. Snow levels generally climb during any showers, so lower and mid-mountain precipitation becomes less favorable for snow as the week goes on. The broader late-period signal leans warmer for Idaho and western Montana, with precipitation confidence poor; Wyoming keeps the better chance of occasional unsettled weather, but any snow after Tuesday should be treated as speculative and generally light unless a stronger wave appears in later forecasts. No consistent wind signal stands out in the extended period.
Resort Forecast Totals (Thu Apr 23 – Sat Apr 25)
- Grand Targhee – 7-9 in
- Jackson Hole – 5-7 in
- Big Sky – 5-6 in
- Bridger Bowl – 2-3 in
- Whitefish Mountain – 2 in
- Brundage – 1 in
- Tamarack – 0-1 in
- Sun Valley – 0 in
- Schweitzer – 0 in
- Bogus Basin – 0 in
