A Snowy Start to 2026 in Jackson Hole

By the time the holidays roll around in a ski town, the slopes are normally coated in a substantial blanket of white. December’s dark days usually provide cold temperatures and stacking pow totals. But normal isn’t typical, and as 2025 came to a close, skiers around the west were beginning to wonder where winter was. Even here in the notoriously frosty environment of northwestern Wyoming, mild weather and minimal snowfall had left the lower elevations riddled with exposed rocks and sticks. But the befuddled skiers of Jackson Hole were in for a quick fix and wouldn’t have to ponder their powder fate for long, because 2026 came fully equipped with a brand new bag of tricks.

We’ll call it the Teton Trickle, but it isn’t exclusive to our range. In fact, skiers everywhere will recognize the scenario. It’s sort of an atmospheric sneak attack that delivers the best skiing by relying on an extended stretch of consistent, but not massive, snowfalls. Daily touchups that don’t come advertised with double-digit accumulations keep the hype-traffic low, and skier snow packing fails to keep up. As the snow stacks up, lingering hazards and moguls begin to vanish, and before you know it, the mountain is transformed. 2026 wasted no time implementing the trickle. It started on the night of the 1st and wouldn’t abate until the 10th. Delivered by strong but not devastating winds, the fresh snow flattened and filled the terrain, landing with a density that skied with the sensations of snow twice the depth.  By the time the 5th rolled around, every sign and sound of December’s scritch-scratchin' had been secretly replaced with the silent and subtle resistance of what some would call “Hero Snow.” But we were only halfway through the cycle. Seven inches, seven more, then five. The slow trickle continued, peaking on the 8th with a nine-inch tally on the upper mountain. The Lower Faces and Hobacks, which, due to limited valley snow, had previously been off-limits to p-tex travel, were quietly added to the roster of runs amidst the onslaught, stretching our vertical possibilities to the max. Smooth fields and well-formed features rewarded the bold skiers who braved the brunt of the storm. The meteoric rise in energy was palpable. Temperatures began to plummet as the storm started its exit, and the final three-inch touch-up on the 10th gave the surface a magical last layer of vaporizing jet-dry.

Sundogs, solar halos, and glitter pillars filled the air while the clouds dissipated, as if a proud young 2026 wanted to show off its latest work of art. The beauty was undeniable, though, as the reality of a fully redesigned Rendezvous Mountain came to light.

The shaky season that had many biting their nails now has them scrambling to hit all the trails. And with a near-record deep upper mountain base and over 4,000 feet of high-grade sliding, missing out would be one of the greatest fails.  Approaching the midpoint of 2026's first month, a mellow, sunny stretch will be temporarily interrupting the frenetic storm flow. So, bust out the sunscreen for a few and work on that warm alpine glow. Because next thing you know, we'll be floating back into the exhilarating embrace of the Teton Trickle of snow. -Dr. Huckinstuff

January Jump-Start: Storm Skiing Photo Gallery

Photos by: Nate Berenson, Brooks Curran, Amy Jimmerson, Bobby Thomson & Luke Gentry

Skiers: Brooks Curran, Bobby Thomson, Lynsey Dyer, Veronica Paulsen, Kristie Ryan, Madison Ostergren, Jim Ryan, Wyatt Gentry, Nate Berenson, Jimmy Chin, Jeff "Dr. Huckinstuff" Leger, Sierra Quitiquit, & Jake Hopfinger