Travis Whitmeyer and his son Archie, 7, build a tall snowman as the rest of their family plays in the snow Tuesday morning at Mike Yokel Park. The Whitmeyers were visiting Jackson from Houston, Texas, and spent their last day in town playing in the snow during the winter storm.
Orson Taggart, 7, sails out of Kris Walker’s arms and into deep, freshly fallen snow Tuesday morning at Mike Yokel Park. Walker, right, accompanied the group of neighborhood kids, along with his two children, as they enjoyed a rare snow day out of school after in-person classes were canceled for Teton County District No. 1. Read more on page 25A.
Notorious for never calling a snow day, Teton County School District made the call at 7 a.m. Tuesday. And so did the rest of the Teton region.
As the Wyoming Department of Transportation closed Teton Pass, and pretty much the rest of the state’s byways, the town of Jackson rescheduled its public meetings for next Monday. The Senior Center and many child care programs closed for the day just about the time ski lifts started spinning uphill above a foot of fresh snow.
While the regular hum of Jackson Hole life took a collective sigh to weather the weather, many families and neighbors hit the slopes and town parks armed with sleds and draped in “The Big Five.” If you’re in grade school, then you know.
Town trees bowed beneath heavy powder as cars and trucks parked bumper-to-bumper along Snow King Avenue. Jackson Elementary School student Poppy Odlin, dressed in her winter finest with her neck gaiter hanging down around her chin, scooped up piles of fresh snow and ate it. She was with her dad, who reported that Poppy skied the Snow King Mountain Resort’s Rafferty Lift for the first time that day.
Susannah Walker, 6, peaks out of the snow after being thrown into the deep powder by her father Tuesday morning while playing at Mike Yokel Park.
KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE
The late February storm dropped almost a foot of new snow in the upper elevations by Tuesday afternoon while wind whipped through the area, cresting at a high of 60 mph, recorded at the Summit Station at the top of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Ashley Jane spent the morning shoveling the new snow just outside the Rafferty Center at the Town Hill. This is Jane’s first winter in Wyoming and the first time she’s seen snow — ever. As a seasonal worker from Malaysia she said the amount of snow was “surprising,” but she was enjoying the winter weather and watching people trying to dig out the mountain coaster.
As Jane worked to clear walkways, skiers slid down the mountain and across the snow-laden sidewalks headed to their cars after successful runs on the Town Hill.
Sounds of children filled the air from the magic carpet on Snow King, bouncing off nearby buildings and mixing with the low hums of snowblowers spewing snow from driveways. The ice rink was full of students of all ages enjoying a rare respite from classes, carrying the sounds of laughter higher.
Travis Whitmeyer and his son Archie, 7, build a tall snowman as the rest of their family plays in the snow Tuesday morning at Mike Yokel Park. The Whitmeyers were visiting Jackson from Houston, Texas, and spent their last day in town playing in the snow during the winter storm.
KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE
It wasn’t just locals enjoying all the winter had to offer. Adrienne Hoover was on vacation with her family visiting from Georgia. She said this was more powder than she and her children have ever skied and said the high-density snow was just right for making snowballs.
By 2:30 p.m. Teton Pass was open again for travel. The National Weather Service was reporting Tuesday afternoon that the winter storm warning will remain in effect until 5 a.m. Wednesday with additional snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches.
Jeannette has worked as an editor and journalist in the Greater Yellowstone Region for more than 20 years. She finds excitement and joy in watching her children explore wild places with her husband, Brad, and their red heeler, Rosie.
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