At this point it does look like a “strong to very strong” El Niño is developing in the Equatorial Pacific and according to NOAA it will likely continue through January-March 2027. So what does this mean for Jackson Hole in particular? The answer may be found in the historical record, but that is purely based … Continue reading What does an El Nino Winter mean for Jackson Hole? →

The fall season has begun here in Jackson Hole, with thoughts of the winter yet to come. But before jumping ahead and speculating on what kind of winter we are going to have, I thought it would be worth taking one last look in the rearview mirror at this past summer’s weather. Summer’s High Temperatures … Continue reading A warm and wet Summer 2026 →

July is typically the warmest month of the year in Jackson, WY and it is also the driest month of the year on average. July of 2026 turned out to be warmer than the average, thanks to a persistent ridge of high pressure over the western United States, and wetter than normal, thanks to a … Continue reading Monsoon makes for warm and wet July →

If you spend enough time outdoors in the summer, you are bound to run into a situation that exposes you to the dangers of lightning. The mountains are especially prone, as they are either in or close to the base of the clouds, which makes for a shorter and easier electrical connection to the ground. … Continue reading Lightning Safety →

All we have heard so far this spring is that we are in for a hot, dry, summer with a busy wildfire season expected over the next few months. As I look back at the last 20 years or so, that has pretty much been the outlook almost every summer here in Northwest Wyoming. Will … Continue reading Summer 2026 Outlook →

Flip-flopping spring weather is perfectly normal. The weather in March this year was more like April. And April’s weather was like the March we should have had. From warm and sunny days into the 70’s, to cold and snowy days with highs in the 30’s, April 2026 had something for every weather connoisseur’s tastes. In … Continue reading Spring Weather’s Up and Downs →

I received an email asking me about a graph of Teton County, WY temperatures that appeared in an article from High Country News. The email was inquiring as to whether it matched the actual data from our local weather stations. After briefly studying the graph (seen below), I realized that it was constructed from what … Continue reading NOAA’s Climate Data doesn’t match the Real Data →

Jackson, Wyoming was not the only place in the West that experienced what was perhaps the weirdest winter ever. It wouldn’t matter if you have lived here only a few years or over 50 years, it was undoubtedly the weirdest due to the lack of snow in the valley and the unusually warm temperatures throughout … Continue reading The Weird Winter of 2025-26 →

Earth’s atmosphere is made up of many different kinds of gas, most are naturally occurring, some are added unnaturally. Some are considered greenhouse gasses, some are not. In this post I will break down the chemical make-up of the atmosphere that surrounds our globe and explain what effect some of these gasses have on temperatures … Continue reading Our Atmosphere has a Gas Problem →

The real significance of Groundhog Day, on February 2nd every year, is that it marks the halfway point of the Winter Season. It is the midway point between the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21) and the Spring Equinox (Mar. 20). Essentially, we have also reached the midway point of the ski season as well. The first … Continue reading Unusual 1st Half of Winter 2025-26 →