MUNISING AREA UPDATE via Alger County Sorva – 2/17
TRAIL REPORT, Friday, February 17, 2023 9:00 a.m.
ICY AREAS BUT TRAILS CLEANING UP GOOD!
Overall most of our main trails are now back to a good condition. Grooming was difficult but the few inches if fresh snow helped clean things up. Trails are hard and icy in areas so be careful in the corners especially. We really need more fresh snow to bring them up to very good. On Trail 418 from just East of AuTrain West to Trail 417 South the base is gone and gravely. The remainder of our Trails will be getting cleaned up today and tonight. Keep a close eye on trail conditions as you ride and stay right. Stay tuned for updates!
Today’s Trail Report brought to you by: Autrain Grocery, Autrain, MI https://www.facebook.com/AutrainGrocery/
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MUNISING AREA UPDATE via TNT Trenary Northern Trails – 2/17
We were able to get a full groom in tonight. That being said, much of the trail is very icy, I was not able to get good results tonight, and much of the trail is still going to be rough. Not terribly rough, but there will be some chatter bumps, many corners will be bumpy due to lack of fresh snow and the trail being mostly ice. We can’t groom ice. However, sections of the trail have received some fresh snow tonight while I was grooming. The Chatham area had 3" of fresh snow to work into the trail tonight, and it was still snowing when I got done. Some drifting is going on as well, and will add to the bumps during the day. There are a few of the problem water areas that aren’t frozen back up yet after the warm weather and rain. More than likely, they won’t effect a snowmobile, but the weight of the groomer broke through some of them. Overall, the trail is in better shape than I expected after the weather we just had. Is the trail rideable? Yes, very much. Are there bare spots? Yes, but not many and they are avoidable. Is it smooth? Some areas yes, other areas, no. I will recommend, if you have ice scratches, I would use them, if you don’t have them, it would be a good thing to consider buying if you plan on riding any trail here in the U.P. Ice is everywhere, so prepare properly, and don’t expect perfect trails, take it slower than normal, and enjoy what we have, it’s all we have for now. Do your snow, dance, ride right, have fun, and stay safe out there.
MARQUETTE - MUNISING AREA UPDATE via Lake Superior Photo >> Highway M28 is under there somewhere 😳 still very much closed 03.17.2026 6pm For anyone wondering why M 28 is still closed, here's how it's looking where the plowing stopped by the Alger County line 10 miles east of Marquette MI #marquette#munising#snowphotos... See MoreSee Less
WEATHER UPDATE via Michigan Storm Chasers >> Final snowfall totals have been released from our blizzard of March 15th-17th, 2026 here in Michigan. Do note, some locations are approximated due to data gaps in the Upper Peninsula..... #miweather #keweenaw#westernup#marquette#munising #seney #newberry #soo #gaylord#cadillac#benzie#traversecity#petoskeyFinal snowfall totals have been released from our blizzard of March 15th-17th, 2026 here in Michigan. Do note, some locations are approximated due to data gaps in the Upper Peninsula.
No doubt the forecast lived up to its insanity, with many locations getting over 40" of snow across the central Upper Peninsula, and 8-10 foot snow drifts to make things even more extreme. In terms of forecast verification, our forecast did hit the 80%+ accuracy threshold we strive for after each event. Our final verification was 83%, and most of the the misses were where the system shifted slightly south to give parts of the northern Lower Peninsula greater than 24", and parts of the western Upper Peninsula much less. Anything over 18" of snow is just "a lot" at this point anyways, so we aren't stressing too badly about the miss in the Lower Peninsula near the Mackinac Bridge. Lake effect zones in SW Michigan did verify, as text was featured under the forecast that a couple spots would see locally higher amounts.
Overall, this will be a storm we won't soon forget, which adds to the list of wild weather we've experienced in Michigan over the last two weeks. If you have any additional snowfall reports to add to the list that are not affected by drifting, drop them in the comments below here on X or Facebook. A new two-day record was also broken at the NWS office in Marquette of 36"+ with this blizzard, which is just one record smashed by this blizzard. ... See MoreSee Less
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Today, lake effect snow and winds slowly decrease, with snow totals exceeding 2 inches confined to Alger County. Highs will be around 20. Tonight and Wednesday, a weak system brings a widespread 1 to 2 inches of snow, with lows in the single digits in the interior to 10s around the lakeshores. Highs Wednesday will be in the 30s. For the rest of the week into the weekend, mostly weaker systems with highs above freezing and lows mainly in the 20s. #miweather #keweenaw#westernup#marquette#munising #seney #newberry #sooToday, lake effect snow and winds slowly decrease, with snow totals exceeding 2 inches confined to Alger County. Highs will be around 20. Tonight and Wednesday, a weak system brings a widespread 1 to 2 inches of snow, with lows in the single digits in the interior to 10s around the lakeshores. Highs Wednesday will be in the 30s. For the rest of the week into the weekend, mostly weaker systems with highs above freezing and lows mainly in the 20s. ... See MoreSee Less