Jackson Hole - Definition and Overview

Jackson Hole is a valley in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is located in west-central Wyoming, and gets the name "hole" because it has no natural outlet as nearly every other valley does (usually via a river or stream).

This often causes calm winter nights to be very cold, as radiational cooling from snow-covered ground creates cold air near the surface, which then slides down into the valley due to its higher density. In 1990, this effect during an already severe cold snap plunged the morning low temperature down to -46°F or -43°C in the valley, officially recorded by the National Weather Service two days before Christmas. There was no wind or wind chill at the time.

The only town in the valley is Jackson, Wyoming, sometimes also mistakenly called Jackson Hole. Numerous elk use the valley as grazing range during the winter, and sleigh rides are offered to tourists. The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee ski areas, and nearby Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are major tourism attractions in winter and summer, respectively.