Bare Slopes, Big Delays: Jackson Hole And Other Teton Resorts Push Back Ski Season

Ski season in Teton County is off to a slow — and pretty brown — start, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

All three of the county’s ski resorts have pushed back their opening days thanks to a weak snowpack and warmer-than-normal temperatures that are also messing with snowmaking.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming’s largest ski area, announced Tuesday it won’t be kicking off its 60th anniversary season as planned this Friday. That news follows similar delays from Snow King Mountain and Grand Targhee Resort, both of which have also hit pause on opening.

Right now, the slopes across the valley look more like late fall than early winter: mostly brown hillsides with a few sad ribbons of man-made snow trying to pass as ski runs.

Grand Targhee, above Alta, had already postponed its planned opening last Friday and now says its start date is delayed indefinitely. Snow King — Jackson’s “Town Hill” — has also backed away from its Dec. 5 target.

“Luckily, we have so many other assets that people can enjoy,” said Rick Howe, president of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce.

He added that many hospitality businesses are already talking about putting together specials to keep visitors coming, even if the snow isn’t.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort didn’t sugarcoat the conditions.

“We have received 26 inches of snow mid-mountain through November, and warm conditions have affected snowmaking efforts, resulting in insufficient coverage to open terrain,” the resort posted on social media.

Resort officials say they’ll keep firing up the snow guns whenever temperatures allow and will watch the snowpack closely. They’ll only announce a new opening date once conditions meet their safety standards for both guests and staff.

This winter was supposed to be a big one — the resort’s 60th anniversary season — but they’re already hinting that 2025-26 may be the “milestone winter” instead.

At Grand Targhee, the resort leaned on Open Snow forecaster Alan Smith to explain what’s going on. He said November has been “unseasonably warm,” with temperatures running 8–10°F above average for the first half of the month. Combine that with very little natural snow since October, and you get exactly what’s on the slopes now: not much.

Smith does see colder weather and some light snow on the horizon, but still thinks temps may stay above normal and says confidence in any big storms is low.

Snow King manager Ryan Stanley told the Jackson Hole News&Guide that it normally takes about three solid weeks of snowmaking to get the hill ready. With warm days holding things back, that timeline is out the window. None of the three Teton County resorts has set a new firm opening date.

While Teton County waits on winter to show up, other Wyoming ski areas are still aiming for early December starts.

• Snowy Range Ski Area near Centennial is planning to open Dec. 5.
• White Pine above Pinedale is also targeting Dec. 5.
• Hogadon Basin near Casper is eyeing Dec. 6, according to its website.

For now, though, in Jackson Hole and around the Tetons, skis and boards are staying in the garage a bit longer — and everyone is watching the forecast, hoping the brown turns white soon.