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Grand Teton National Park Weather

Grand Teton Park

Grand Teton National Park Weather

The weather in Glacier National Park can be extremely unpredictable.  It can be warm and sunny in the morning, and snowing by afternoon.  You never know what you're going to get in Glacier National Park with regard to weather, so always bring appropriate clothing for all weather conditions....hot weather, cold weather, rain, snow, and wind.  Dress in layers so you can easily adjust to the ever-changing weather conditions in Glacier National Park!

Grand Teton National Park Average Temperatures

Average Maximum 25.9 31.1 39.3 49.3 61.0 70.7 80.5 79.0 69.1 55.7 38.3 26.5
Average Minimum 0.9 3.3 12.0 22.2 30.8 37.3 41.5 39.6 32.2 23.1 1.37 1.9

Courtesy of the National Park Service

Grand Teton National Park Average Precipitation

Average Precipitation 2.59 1.89 1.57 1.49 1.91 1.76 1.16 1.35 1.44 1.44 2.16 2.55
Average Snow Fall 43.3 28.8 20.1 9.2 2.4 0.1 0 0 0.4 4.8 23.4 40.0

Courtesy of the National Park Service

About Grand Teton National Park Weather

Clothing

With regard to Grand Teton National Park weather, July and August are definitely the warmest months in Grand Teton National Park, and these months also have the least amount of precipitation.  This is partly why July and August are the most popular months to visit Grand Teton National Park.  However, even though the weather in Grand Teton National Park appears to be very nice, isolated storms can hit at any time.  Therefore all visitors need to bring and wear appropriate clothing that is appropriate for all Grand Teton National Park weather conditions, such as hot dry days, cold days, and rainy days...even snow.

And one thing about Grand Teton National Park weather is that it can change in an instant.  One minute it's a beautiful warm day with plenty of sunshine, and the next minute the temperature can drop 30 degrees and you're in a cloud burst.

Here's a tip:  Bring clothing that can be easily LAYERED
The best way to handle the ever-changing Grand Teton National Park weather is to LAYER.  This means that you wear clothes that are not too bulky, and you can add or remove layers quickly and easily.  The best way to layer is to wear a light synthetic shirt (polyester, etc.), and have readily available a light synthetic polar fleece jacket to quickly throw on if it gets chilly.  The third layer is your outer shell, which should be a light weight, breathable, wind blocking, water proof hooded jacket (Gore-Tex or equivalent) that you can easily fit in your day pack and can wear over your fleece jacket.  This shell is obviously for when you get caught in a rain storm, or you're in a windy environment.

We also recommend that you bring light weight, water proof, wind blocking, and breathable rain pants that you can easily slip on over your regular pants or shorts.  Keep in in your day pack so they will always be available when you need them.

This three layer clothing system is great for handling the ever-changing Grand Teton National Park weather conditions.

Summer Thunderstorms and Hypothermia

Even though Grand Teton National Park weather during the summer is usually quite wonderful, there are quite commonly severe afternoon thunderstorms that can get visitors in trouble if they are not prepared.  Very often visitors will see nothing but a clear blue sky in the morning, so they don't bring any extra clothes with them on their hike.  Then all of a sudden dark thunderheads begin to appear over the mountains, and within a matter of minutes these unsuspecting hikers can be caught in a cloud burst.  During these cloud bursts, a ton of rain falls in a very short period of time, leaving hikers soaked to the skin.

This can potentially be a serious problem if the outside temperature drops to even 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is because if you're soaking wet, and you get cold, you're body temperature may begin to drop if you don't do something quickly to get warm.  If your core body temperature drops below 95 degrees (F), then you will experience hypothermia.  The initial symptoms are shivering and mental confusion, and eventually if left untreated, death can be the result.

The biggest misconception about hypothermia is that you can only get it if it's really cold outside. The truth is that many hypothermia cases occur during the warmest summer months.  It doesn't take an arctic winter storm to cause your body temperature to drop.  If fact, if you're wet, and the temperature is in the upper 50's, you could be in trouble. So make sure you bring appropriate clothing while hiking in Grand Teton National Park.   Grand Teton National Park weather is ever-changing, and visitors need to be prepared for everything.

Concerning clothing materials, make sure all of your clothing is either synthetic (polyester, etc) or wool.  These materials tend to keep you warmer while wet much more effectively than cotton.  Cotton in fact can make things worse once it gets wet because it can further drop your core body temperature.  Therefore while hiking in Grand Teton National Park (or anywhere else for that matter), one should never wear cotton.  And by the way, another advantage of synthetic material such as polyester is that it dries very quickly, whereas cotton and wool dries very slowly.  Personally, polyester is our material of choice for all of our outdoor activities.

The bottom line is this:  Grand Teton National Park weather can change in an instant, and visitors need to be prepared for all weather conditions, even during the warmest months of the year.

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