Every year in early autumn I will present some sort of prognostication of what the coming winter will be like. For skiers, snowboarders and snow-machiners, in general, all they really care about is that it will be a “SNOWY’” winter, providing bountiful powder to shred. That’s the only reason to even look at a long-range … Continue reading Winter 2020-21 Outlook →

Cooler temps and some rain have helped squelch some of the forest fires that have been raging this summer across the Western United States. As we head into fall, conditions should improve. However,  fire-weather season is never really over until the snow falls! This post will provide some resources for you to track the location … Continue reading Fire Weather Resources →

As high-pressure was building a semi-permanent home over the Western United States during the first couple of weeks in August, temperatures were heating up, as it often does this time of year. Very warm temperatures and little to no precipitation resulted in a rapidly developing and dangerous fire season across the Western United States. Around … Continue reading Weather Dictates an Elevated Fire Danger →

One of my all-time favorite weather books is Defining the Wind, by Scott Huler. It is the story of Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), an admiral in the British Navy, former head of the British Hydrographic Office and the first person to quantify the wind. Beaufort had great observational weather skills. After years of sailing the … Continue reading Defining the Wind →

This past week has been warmer than normal over much of the Western United States, warm at least for late May and early June. In Jackson Hole we just had a string of days topping 80 degrees, 82-degrees for a high temp in town on May 29, 30 & 3, 2020. Looks like we’ll be … Continue reading Going from Hot to Cold →

You have probably heard the old saying that Jackson Hole gets nine months of winter and three months of bad skiing (substitute: boarding or sledding here). Some years, that is very true, as winter weather can start in September and last until June. Last month on this Blog, I reviewed the “meteorological winter” season, which … Continue reading Another SNOWY Winter in Jackson Hole →

It’s springtime in the Rockies and that means wild weather swings are bound to occur. This week brought high temperatures in the 50’s on Tuesday & Wednesday to Jackson Hole. Then, a perfectly sunny day with no wind on Thursday and temperatures topping 60-degrees in the Town of Jackson. That nice taste of spring weather … Continue reading Easter Weather Swing →

On the night of April 5th, 2020 , moist & unstable air moved over western Wyoming causing thunderstorms and a relatively intense graupel event (round, puffy pellets of snow). In combination, this would be termed a “Thundersnow” event.  Infra-red Satellite image below showing the bright green “cell” that contained those thunderstorms from Sunday night. Thundersnow … Continue reading April Thundersnow →

A potent storm system in the Gulf of Alaska will bring snow to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies today through Tuesday, lingering into April Fool’s Day. Map below shows position of Low-pressure Monday, March 30th and forecast position on Tuesday March 31st. Jet stream also pushes inland across Oregon, Idaho and … Continue reading More Snow, No Foolin →

The “meteorological” winter season is officially ended, defined by the months of December, January and February. The astronomical winter season, which began on the Winter Solstice (December 21st, 2019), runs until the Spring Equinox on March 19th this year. Below is a re-cap of all the highs and lows and snow that we experienced here … Continue reading Jackson Hole Winter 2019-20 Review →