Powder time: Jackson Hole wraps-up season with record snowfall
Resort guests enjoyed not only record snow but greater access to the mountain with reduced lift and wait times and advanced ticket sales.
The top three years for snowfall between October 1 and April 9 in Rendezvous Bowl are 2022-23 with 594 inches, 2016-17 with 590 inches and 1996-97 with 585 inches, according to the Jackson Hole Avalanche Lab and the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center.
The Resort experienced its snowiest winter ever while reporting 41 days with 6 inches or more of new snow.
“On behalf of our owners, the Kemmerer family, our board of directors and our senior management team, I’d like to express heartfelt thanks to our guests and employees for a wonderful season,” said Jackson Hole Mountain Resort President, Mary Kate Buckley.
“The consistency of the powder days, the cold temperatures and the quality of the snow made for exceptional conditions through closing day.”
JHMR opened the season with five lifts after a perfect combination of early-season snowfall, consistently cold temperatures and continuous snowmaking efforts.
The snow started falling in mid-October and hardly let up until the end of the season.
JHMR operated the fully planned 136-day season, opening the day after Thanksgiving 2022 and operating daily through April 9.
The Aerial Tram, Sublette lift, Marmot lift and the Bridger Gondola opened on December 3, 2022. With these lift openings, guests were able to access 4,139 vertical feet of terrain, including Rendezvous Bowl, Cheyenne Bowl, Gros Ventre and Tram Line. Buckley observed that the new Thunder lift “shortened lift line wait times and gave our guests more time on snow,” with the new lift cutting riders’ lift time from over 7 minutes to 3.6 minutes, and the average wait time less than half of that in the previous year.
Looking back over the season, Buckley said: “It was especially gratifying to be able to deliver a great season for our loyal guests who come back year after year.”
With JHMR’s reservation system and limited capacity on the mountain for the third consecutive year, guests were able to gain greater mountain access with advanced ticket sales and required reservations for Ikon and Mountain Collective passholders.
Due to the popularity of these practices, they will be continued in the 2023-24 season.
Buckley praised the enormous efforts of all employees operating the Resort at the “highest level of service,” not only on the mountain but in retail and rental stores, dining locations and lodging.
“It is painful to have to close the Resort while the skiing and riding is still fantastic, so we’ve just made the decision to extend the 2023-24 season by an extra week to give our guests 143 days of fun and adventure at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort,” she said.
Buckley said JHMR is looking forward to its summer operations with the Aerial Tram opening on May 20 and the Bridger Gondola, Sweetwater Gondola, Teewinot Chairlift, Jackson Hole Bike Park, Via Ferrata and more opening on later dates.
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