Weather
Boosted by a record breaking February, the snowpack in the Tetons reached depths of 122″ at Grand Targhee, and 117″ at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort towards the end of the month. However, that was as deep as it got. Limited snowfall in March and April has meant the snowpack has gradually declined since then.
Peak snowpack in the Tetons is usually around April 9th, according to Alan Smith, meteorologist for Buckrail. That means that this year, peak snowpack occurred a full six-weeks earlier than normal, despite an above-average snowfall year.
There looks like very little chance of reprieve too, with dry conditions in the long-term forecast causing concern for summer wildfires and water resources.
More long-term, the May, June, July outlook just released by the NOAA doesn’t look much better. Expect warmer and drier than normal for most of the west.
