What Clothes to Pack For The Weather in Jackson Hole?

    If ever there was a question we get almost bi-weekly!?  You would think it would be simple right?  Just pack for the season?  For winter in Jackson, that is true, but much of the rest of the year can be a little unpredictable.  As many of our clients have heard us say over the years, the weather in this region is the epitome of the wild wild west.  Regardless, It’s a great question and one that we’ve received enough that we thought it would be a great blog for not only our couples & families, but also for folks travel planning.  Below we’re going to cover what to expect from the weather depending on time of the year you plan to take your trip!  Now full transparency, we weren’t born and raised here, but we’ve been here long enough to get a hold on the typical weather patterns throughout the year.  So if I use any descriptors like ‘cold’ or ‘hot’, just know that we’re from Florida so our cold is anything below 70 (just kidding).  We hope this helps you plan and in any event, if you have more specific questions, just give us a shout!

Winter (December, January, February) - Average Temp = 22 Degrees

Let’s start with the easiest one.  I don’t think it’s any secret, Jackson Hole gets snow, A LOT!  With that snow comes the cold and we can tell you from firsthand experience, it can be downright frigid when it comes to a Jackson Hole winter.  Two winters ago, we worked with one of our engagement couples in negative 16 degree weather.  Yes, 16 below 0.  Thankfully they were both doctors so we knew how long we could safely expose our skin before frostbite became a worry (thanks Scott and Megan).  Now I will say, there are always those random winter days in Jackson where it will be a blue bird day and barely 40 degrees and you could get away with a t-shirt if it’s not too windy.  That’s not the norm.  If you are traveling here in the winter, definitely plan to bring plenty of layers, headwear, thick socks, and gloves.  A heavy coat is a must, and of course there’s always your choice of scarf vs a face mask.  Pro tip:  Stock up on hand warmers or pick up some electric ones off amazon!

Spring (March, April, May) - Expect temperature ranges from 35-70 degrees

In our opinion, Spring can seem like the most unpredictable time of year for weather.  Part of it anyway.  You can always count on March being snow covered and cold.  May does warm up, but it’s still cold, and there’s still a lot of snow left to melt before everything starts a full bloom.  Trails will typically start to clear or have small piles of snow vs being completely covered.  Trails heading to the upper elevations will still be pretty snow covered.  I’ve jokingly referred to Spring in Jackson Hole like winter on a diet.  As we alluded to in the last paragraph, winter in Jackson can be brutal, but Spring here probably feels like a normal winter to a lot of the country.  In short, you’re going to have some warmer days in Spring, but definitely pack a couple of jackets, and some layers for the colder days.

Summer  (June, July, August) - Average Temps: Day time = 70-85 degrees; Evenings and early mornings = 40-50 degrees

Summer time in Jackson is by far our favorite time of the year.  This 3 month stretch is as close to perfect weather as you can get in our opinion.  June still sees some cool mornings (think like a cool fall morning), afternoons and evenings usually in the 60-80s, and night time brings back the cool air.  There’s usually still a fair amount of snow on the mountains and some snow melt throughout the park and some hiking trails.  July is when things start to heat up a bit and by mid July we do get some dare I say hot days.  Thinks 80s-90s.  It’s pretty bearable though, the humidity here is really low so while it’s still hot under our summer sun, you won’t be choking on that thick heavy air that comes with those more humid environments like FL.  In short, many of our couples may opt for slightly heavier clothing, think like a flannel, long sleeve dress shirt, or a jacket/blazer.   But some may opt for a dress or t-shirt.  If you’re not hiking too much, it’s not uncommon to barely break a sweat.  But it’s also warm enough that some nights are perfect for a short dress and open toe shoes.  Summer is usually nice and warm in the afternoons, but cooler in the evenings and early morning hours so if you plan to do some exploring during those times, not a bad idea to bring a jacket, or just pick one up in town.

Fall (September, October, November) - Fall starts off with an average range of 31-71 degrees and only gets colder from there, steadily dropping to the 20-50 degree range for October, and finally an average high of 39 degrees in November.

Fall in Jackson Hole is a close second for us, barely being edged out by summer.  September is when things start to cool down a bit, you might start putting a jacket over that flannel or a base layer under your running outfit.  If there isn’t a burn ban, it’s a great time of year for a bon fire/fire pit.  Late September through early to mid October is when you can usually count on some solid fall color throughout the region.  Of course like fall in any region, it can always come a week early and stay a week late, in general this is a great range if you’re wanting to see fall colors.  October does have some slightly cooler nights and mornings, but it’s not freezing quite yet.  November is when we definitely start to accumulate some heavy snow fall and the temps start to see their downward trend towards winter.  If you’re visiting in September, we would say dress for your average fall weather and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring a jacket for the cooler days, and maybe some hiking shorts for the warmer days.  October is definitely when we see all of the fall fashion here.  Think more vests and jackets.  If you’re wanting to visit during the late fall, plan to bring a heavy coat.  It will be cold most days.

To summarize, winter is pretty straightforward when it comes to packing clothes for Jackson Hole.  The other seasons can be a bit variable and feel downright sporadic when you’re actually experience them in person.  In a nutshell this is what you can likely expect during any given time of year to the Jackson Hole area.  Take homes, always check one of the local weather stations or the weather channel app and you can usually count on the temps being pretty accurate.  It’s never a bad idea to bring a jacket or coat.  There are some great options in town if you forget something!