bflood
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On a snow coach tour in Yellowstone in winter, 2007, someone up front asked the guide what time of year he'd recommend as the single best time to visit the park, and he said without hesitation "the third week in May." When pressed, he said it was late enough in the year that if snow happens, it's unlikely to be enough snow to really interfere with vacation plans, everything that hibernates will be out of hibernation and hungry (and therefore out feeding), most of the cubs, calves, and kits will have been born (except elk), and it's before Memorial Day weekend, so the park won't be crowded. So, after retiring at the end of April 2 years ago, I packed up and was in Yellowstone for the 3rd week in May. Boy, was he right!
If by west you mean West Yellowstone, I can say it's a nice town with pretty much everything you might need or want (stayed there several times). If you stay there, I recommend allotting some time (a morning or afternoon) to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center there - excellent viewing of captive animals. Driving around the park requires traveling some distance no matter where you stay. Gardiner MT is distinctly smaller with less variety than W Yellowstone, and the Cooke City area outside the northeast gate is very small and limited. Not bad places to stay, mind you, but the smaller size means less to offer.
On my 3rd week in May trip, I saw more bears (almost all black bears) than I've seen on my other half dozen trips to the park combined - they were everywhere. I photographed a newborn elk calf no more than 1 hour old, wolves feeding on a carcass in the Lamar River. It was sensational. I hope your time is as good.
At the Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River (the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone), there will be a rainbow in the spray at the bottom of the falls around 800-900AM - ask at the visitor center from the best time. It's visible from both sides of the river - take your polarizer.
The Lamar Valley is traditionally the best place to find wolves and buffalo, but elk and buffalo can be found on the west side along the road between West Yellowstone and Madison Junction. I found bears in every part of the park except around the Old Faithful geyser basin part of the park. I did encounter an overnight snowfall - it just made things prettier and didn't keep me from getting where I wanted to go. The only place in Yellowstone I saw eagles was in the area between Midway Geyser Basin and the Norris Geyser area. In the northwest, look for bighorn sheep on the hillsides along the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and the north gate, best at the tradition feeding times - the first 2 hours after sunrise and the last 2 hours leading to sunset. You can sometimes find moose in the same part of the park.
While you are there, allow time for Grand Teton National Park. Lots of elk and bison, some bears (ask at the visitor center for the latest sightings), moose around Moose Junction (!) where the road crosses the Snake River and around Gros Ventre, and spectacular scenery. Look for pronghorn in the open meadows around Moran Junction.
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