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This week in Yellowstone National Park, we will get some real winter weather in and around Yellowstone. I will also tell you about how some tour guides got in trouble, how many people visited Yellowstone in 2024, where to see hoarfrost, and where you should hike if you are hoping to brave the cold and want to potentially see wolf prints in the snow. Stick around and you may just be inspired to spend some time in Yellowstone National Park this week.
Listen to this as a podcast!
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-yellowstone-national-park/id1789397931
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/41E5WWldz4s7n6NXh2Lahr
RSS: https://rss.com/podcasts/this-week-in-yellowstone-national-park/
The standard disclaimer: This week, like every week, I will do my best to give you relevant information for your upcoming visit. I may miss a few things and not cover some topics you’d like, but if there is anything you wish to know, please feel free to contact me. I also refer to locations in the park pretty casually, so if you are unfamiliar with the park, you may want to search for some of these things.
Please note that this weekly report is for current driveable regions of the park only and does not cover the experiences one may have to take a snowcoach or snowmobile tour into the interior. If you have questions about those adventures and regions, please contact your tour operator.
THIS WEEK’S YELLOWSTONE NEWS
It has been another slow news week in Yellowstone. As of this morning (Wednesday the 15th for those curious) the park just released the final visitation numbers for 2024. In 2024, Yellowstone saw 4,744,352 visitors, up 5.4% from 2023. If those numbers are accurate, that puts 2024 as the second most-visited year in Yellowstone National Park. 2021 is the record holder, with 4,860,242 visitors. In December, Yellowstone had 30,410 visitors, down 12.52% from December 2023.
Later this week, or over the weekend, I will release an episode breaking down visitation for Yellowstone in 2024. This will cover everything you want to know about park visitation, including the busiest months, the months showing the largest growth in popularity, and areas of park visitation and recreation that are seeing a decline.
The only other real news was last week when President Joe Biden and the United States Fish and Wildlife Services rejected years-old petitions from multiple western states to remove the grizzly bear from the endangered and threatened species list. How long this will last is anyone’s guess. We will have a new president this week.
Other than that, the park had to warn all the tour operators, reminding them that stopping on the road is illegal, as is loading and unloading their passengers when stopped on the road. Not in pullout, but on the main road. I may or may not have reported four different companies (well-known ones too) doing exactly that a few weeks back. It sucks to be them. They shouldn’t have been doing it in the first place.
EXPERIENCE OF THE WEEK
This week, the experience I recommend, based on the fact that it will be super cold, is to take a drive by the rivers in the early morning. They should be steaming quite a lot. If they are steaming, and you feel like a small adventure, go toward the river on a trail and look at the taller grasses and plants. They should be covered with hoarfrost. Hoarfrost is a type of frost that forms when water vapor in the air freezes on surfaces that are already below freezing. It’s made up of tiny ice crystals that look like white hair or feathers and is incredibly gorgeous. You may also see hoarfrost on the sage throughout the park as you are driving around. Definitely stop and get out, if you are bundled up, to see these incredible designs before they melt.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Bundle up and be prepared. This week’s subzero lows will be a challenge for visitors and locals alike. The wind should be minimal, but even a slight breeze will drop the windchill down to dangerously low levels. During stretches of super cold weather like this, we usually get a frostbite warning, telling people they may get frostbite on exposed skin if it is out longer than 15-20 minutes. Do not assume you will be ok. Bring extra layers, extra socks, extra gloves, and a face covering. This isn’t just a warning for people thinking of snowshoeing or skiing. If you get out of your car at all, bundle up a lot.
Also, have emergency supplies in your car. The list of things you need includes but is not limited to extra food and water, a few blankets, extra clothes, a flashlight, extra gloves and hats, and hand warmers. If you drive off the road and get stuck, it will take hours for a tow truck to arrive. Earlier this week, I saw a car off the road at 9 am. When I drove by at 3 pm, the man and his car were still there, waiting for a tow truck.
WEATHER FOR THE COMING WEEK
This is the main story for the week and one I am excited about. Not everyone enjoys subzero temperatures, but I certainly do. Let’s start with the weather forecast for Lamar Valley. Thursday will see highs around freezing, and that is the last time we will see temperatures that high in at least seven days. Friday will have some snow showers and highs in the low 20s. Saturday will see a high of 11 and a low of -11, and Sunday’s high will be just 8 degrees. How cold will it be on Sunday, the current forecast is calling for a low temperature of -21. Monday will be 7 degrees and then a low of -11, Tuesday will be 17 and -2, and then Wednesday will be a balmy 25 as a high and a low of 3. These temperatures are Fahrenheit, by the way.
For Cooke City, use the same forecast but drop the highs a few degrees. Sunday will be the coldest day, with a high of 3 and a low of -22.
Hotter temps in the area will be found outside the park. In Gardiner, the weather is very similar to Lamar and Cooke City. It will be warmer in Gardiner, but only minimally. Sunday’s temperature in Gardiner will be 9 degrees with a low of -15. The high on Wednesday will be 27, with a low of 5.
The forecast I am using is as of Wednesday, January 15th. It may be substantially colder than the temperatures I listed.
SNOWPACK UPDATE
The snowpack in the park continues to be decent. It isn’t great, but it is much better than last year. We are currently about 84% of normal in the park, based on the last 20 years of snowpack data. If you go back to the last 50 years, we are much lower than 84%, but we can’t do much about that. I don’t expect the snowpack to increase at all this week, as there is only one small round of snow coming in on Friday.
ROADS CONDITIONS
The roads this week will be a lot like last week. Most of the park roads have snow on them. There are also patches of ice here and there. I’ll be very honest with you all. The roads a few days ago were fine. Or so I thought. I saw numerous cars lose control and go off the road, stuck in deep snow.
I also saw cars stopped in the road around blind corners, nearly causing serious accidents as they took pictures of elk, bison, and moose. Do not stop in the road. Use a pullout always.
Also, remember that when driving in the park, speeding is not only illegal but dangerous to you and wildlife. Animals can and will jump out in the road anywhere at any time.
Please use pullouts if you are the slow car and causing a backup, and never ever stop on the road.
For up-to-date information call (307) 344-2117 for recorded information, or sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting “82190” to 888-777. Anticipate possible road closures due to inclement weather and dangerous driving conditions.
CAMPING INFO
If you are camping this week or thinking of camping this week, good luck. The cold temps will be absolutely brutal. The only campground open right now is Mammoth, and there are no real amenities to be had. Unless you are experienced in winter camping in the Rocky Mountains and have all the needed gear, do not camp this week.
WILDLIFE WATCHING
The action picked up midweek after a slow start to last week and could continue through the weekend. Wolves have been active from Hellroaring to Slough Creek, coyotes have been all over the place, and the moose have still been hanging out around Pebble Creek. Obviously, this all may change at any time, but it is good to know that wolves have been spotted and there is still a decent chance for moose sightings.
As far as elk and bison sightings go, as of Tuesday, most of the bison being spotted were between Slough Creek and Mammoth. A few are lingering out in Lamar, but most bison in the northern range have moved to lower elevations where accessing grass will be easier. Elk have been doing the same thing. I spotted numerous small herds of elk between Tower and Mammoth earlier in the week. I also spotted a few bighorn sheep near the Yellowstone River Picnic Area.
Those hoping for eagle sightings need to head up into Paradise Valley. Driving to the park the other day from Livingston, I spotted a dozen eagles in trees. I also came across a few large herds of elk, and a decent smattering of pronghorn.
HIKING NEWS AND UPDATES
There is not a lot to report regardung the trails of the park this week. Being winter and all, you’ll need snowshoes or cross-country skis to do pretty much any activity outside. If you are walking the boardwalks at Mammoth, use traction devices. Earlier this week, I watched a Xanterra tour bus unload near Liberty Cap at Lower Mammoth, and half the clients fell in snow and ice within 10 feet of the bus. Luckily, nobody was hurt. The upper boardwalk area is usually a little more dicey.
TREK OF THE WEEK
Link: https://outdoor-society.com/trail-of-the-week-winter-trekking-on-slough-creek-road/
Distance: 5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: ~250 feet
Gear Typically Needed in Winter: Trekking poles, Traction Devices, Snowshoes, or Cross Country Skis
The Slough Creek Road in the winter is easily a top three easy winter trail adventure in the northern range of Yellowstone National Park. Offering sweeping views of the region’s landscape, potential for incredible wildlife-watching, and an opportunity to experience the elements first-hand, you shouldn’t skip this.
Located just before passing through the narrow canyon along the Lamar River, Slough Creek is currently one of the best spots in Yellowstone to spot wolves. Over the last few years, one of the wolf packs in Yellowstone has been denning in the region during the spring months, dazzling wildlife watchers. In the winter, wolves, bison, coyotes, foxes, elk, and even an occasional moose can be spotted in the area. No matter what the month, Slough Creek is worth a stop and an adventure.
BOOK A HIKING TOUR
Would you rather hike the trails with a knowledgeable expert on the park?
I offer private guided hiking services in Yellowstone and would be happy to help you have an amazing time out in the wilds of the park. Feel free to reach out to me directly, or check out my current guided hiking options at the link at the top of the page.
PICK UP A GUIDEBOOK
Enjoying this information, but want even more?
I have a wildlife-watching guidebook and a hiking guidebook to the region available at my store. Both ebook and paperback copies are available at the link at the top of the page.
