Sault Ste. Marie Trail Report – 01/16
SAULT STE. MARIE UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association – 01/15 1/15- city trail update As suspected, much of the city trail system is very thin, down to an inch of packed snow, dirt, and leaves. The areas where we see heavy drifts were very moguled, and much of the area was only a sled and half wide due to tall grasses and tag alders that are normally knocked down by snow by now. We knew we had to at least get out and try to define and widen the trail. We also wanted to check on and widen the trail behind Kewadin to make sure there are no open mud and water holes. Good news there as it was all frozen. We set out under under a beautiful sunset, but that’s where the beauty stopped. Through the tunnel, and up to the airport fence is super thin and bumpy. There’s literally nothing we can do there. We just need snow. Along the airport, we were able to smooth out most of the moguls caused by drifting, so that’s good. We also groomed the courtesy trail to the I-500 track and the Holiday Inn, widening it and defining the edges. Then we headed across the business spur and did what we could to widen 49 behind Walmart and to the DonDee Lanes. Next up, we made our way to the new section of 449 toward Seymour, the high school, and Kewadin Casino. The new section from the intersection is beautiful! Nice and wide. Sault Tribe Construction did a great job cutting this trail for us! There was a giant snow pile somewhat blocking the trail, so we helped ourselves to some of it to add to the trail LOL. Next, 449 to Kewadin. We knocked down the cattails and groomed the path where the trail is supposed to be so that riders can stay on the correct path. Next up, the part right behind Kewadin where we had a heck of a time last season with flowing creeks. Jay was able to grab snow along the edges and push it into the 3 ditches that give us issues. Not pretty, but so much better! Sleds will have no issues getting through there. It’s just thin, like the rest of the city trails. We also hit the high school trail, widening it to where it should be. All in all, these trails are poor. If we didn’t have to ride them earlier, we wouldn’t have, but we saw 23 sleds on our run so folks are still riding. You just have to know that they’re not good. Take it easy and know that you are riding on a very thin base, and some tree roots and other hazards may be exposed in places. We did not go to the trailhead at Ashmun Bay on trail 8. There simply is not enough snow to make it worth it. Wish I had better news for this part of our system, but we just didn’t get the snow needed to make them good. A bit of good news it that it is super cold, so any water spots on this part of our trails are long gone. Sorry to be a downer, just being as honest as possible. This was easily the worst groom ever for us. I’ll keep you posted! Pray, dance, sing or whatever it is you do for snow. We need it badly!❄️❄️❄️ <> <> Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association Facebook Page <> Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association Trail Report on MSA <> SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/13/25 WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Bitterly cold temperatures will hang on through tonight as wind chill values remain below zero across the U.P., coldest in the west near the WI border. Lake effect snow will also continue to impact the northwest wind snowbelts, especially across the east where a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through Sunday morning for Alger, Luce, and northern Schoolcraft Counties. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaBitterly cold temperatures will hang on through tonight as wind chill values remain below zero across the U.P., coldest in the west near the WI border. Lake effect snow will also continue to impact the northwest wind snowbelts, especially across the east where a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through Sunday morning for Alger, Luce, and northern Schoolcraft Counties. WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Lake effect snow showers are expected downwind of Lake Superior through Sunday, impacting the northwest wind snowbelt areas. This snow will be very susceptible to blowing in the wind, resulting in localized visibility reductions below 1 mile at times. Make sure to drive with your headlights on, at appropriate speeds, and with extra room between yourself and other vehicles! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaLake effect snow showers are expected downwind of Lake Superior through Sunday, impacting the northwest wind snowbelt areas. This snow will be very susceptible to blowing in the wind, resulting in localized visibility reductions below 1 mile at times. Make sure to drive with your headlights on, at appropriate speeds, and with extra room between yourself and other vehicles! #906wx #miwx WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A cold front will move across the U.P this evening. Light snow will accompany the front but generally less than an inch is expected. Behind the front temperatures will fall into the single digits above and below zero. This combined with gusty winds will bring wind chills down into the teens and twenties below zero. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for Gogebic and Iron counties tonight through Saturday morning. Lake effect snow will develop behind the front in the northwest wind snowbelts with several inches expected. Those headed outside tonight or traveling should be prepared for bitter cold and snow (in the northwest wind snowbelts). #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/12/2025 WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Impactful winter weather returns this weekend in the form of moderate to heavy lake effect snow and dangerous wind chills. A cold front brings light snow to the U.P. before lake effect snow ramps up across the northwest wind snowbelts this afternoon, persisting into Sunday. Frigid temperatures and gusty winds will result in wind chills falling far below zero for much of the interior west and central. WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Accumulating snow returns to the Northwoods later this afternoon into Saturday as a cold front swings across the area, ushering in a much colder air mass for the weekend. Several inches of snow is expected across parts of northwest lower and the eastern U.P. by Saturday morning with additional lake effect snow continuing through Saturday. Below zero wind chills are expected for most areas late tonight through Saturday. Wind gusts of 25-35+ mph will lead to patchy blowing/drifting snow, especially across open areas. Quickly dropping temps tonight may freeze wet roads by Saturday morning. Combination of snow, winds, and temperatures will lead to hazardous travel conditions across parts of the area through Saturday morning. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey #soo #newberryAccumulating snow returns to the Northwoods later this afternoon into Saturday as a cold front swings across the area, ushering in a much colder air mass for the weekend. Several inches of snow is expected across parts of northwest lower and the eastern U.P. by Saturday morning with additional lake effect snow continuing through Saturday. Below zero wind chills are expected for most areas late tonight through Saturday. Wind gusts of 25-35+ mph will lead to patchy blowing/drifting snow, especially across open areas. Quickly dropping temps tonight may freeze wet roads by Saturday morning. Combination of snow, winds, and temperatures will lead to hazardous travel conditions across parts of the area through Saturday morning. WEATHER UPDATE via Michigan Storm Chasers >> The switch is being flipped into the "on" position for lake effect snow this weekend. Much of what you see won't fall today, but as our extremely cold air mass pushes in late tonight, flurries will begin to fly. Much of the higher totals begin beyond 8 pm EST tonight. Lakeshore areas should prepare for travel delays primarily after this time beginning tonight. Heavy lake effect snow will continue on Saturday thanks to a west-northwest wind, which hints at a shift to out of the northwest by Sunday. <> Latest Trail Reports – Quick Links <>
Groomer Jay and I were asked to try and groom the city trails today, the first groom here this season. We know these trails well, and the many challenges we face in early season conditions. Knowing that the Soo only has maybe 9” TOTAL on the ground, we decided to take the sleds out first to check things out. Postings From Regional Pages On Facebook
Another video from Pat for our off trail fans. There are some awesome spots to play in the Raco and Strongs areas. This is southwest of Raco on 12/12, before the new snow today!
Mid January conditions in early December. We are loving it! ❄️❄️❄️ #soo #snowphotos 
Winter storm warning has been issued! We are expecting fresh snow over most of our area. As of today, everything is as flat as if can be. The cold has really helped with the water holes and sleds are passing all areas easily.
Mike and our newest trainee just completed the city trails. We have made the decision to leave the city trails and trail 49 from the Soo to Kinross alone as far as grooming until Sunday. With fresh snow on top of a flat base, we think this is best for riders and will allow you to have snow for cooling vs a super hard packed trail, and will really help freeze up any remaining soft spots.
Our spare Tucker is running triple duty while we await a fix for our newer Tucker that has an electrical issue. This is another reason we have made this decision. Trail 8 from the Soo to Brimley will be prioritized if it is determined that grooming is needed.
Our Raco, Bay Mills, Brimley, and Kinross south areas remain on the normal schedule.
Please see the pinned post regarding trail 480 and part of 572 in the Spile Dam area.
It should be a great weekend! Thanks all!! ❄️❄️❄️ #soo12/12/2025
Winter storm warning has been issued! We are expecting fresh snow over most of our area. As of today, everything is as flat as if can be. The cold has really helped with the water holes and sleds are passing all areas easily.
Mike and our newest trainee just completed the city trails. We have made the decision to leave the city trails and trail 49 from the Soo to Kinross alone as far as grooming until Sunday. With fresh snow on top of a flat base, we think this is best for riders and will allow you to have snow for cooling vs a super hard packed trail, and will really help freeze up any remaining soft spots.
Our spare Tucker is running triple duty while we await a fix for our newer Tucker that has an electrical issue. This is another reason we have made this decision. Trail 8 from the Soo to Brimley will be prioritized if it is determined that grooming is needed.
Our Raco, Bay Mills, Brimley, and Kinross south areas remain on the normal schedule.
Please see the pinned post regarding trail 480 and part of 472 in the Spile Dam area.
It should be a great weekend! Thanks all!! ❄️❄️❄️
For additional information, including expected snowfall totals and an hourly breakdown of temperatures, winds, and windchills, please view the full briefing packet found here: www.weather.gov/media/mqt/DssPacket.pdf
Stay safe! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
There are concerns with dry air, however the favorable zone for dendrites (snowflakes) to form is essentially on the ground with how cold it'll be. Air temperatures on Saturday alone in the UP may just barely be in the positive single-digits. Wind gusts this weekend may jump to 30-35 mph too, so some of this lake effect snow will push further inland. Totals of 1-3" & 2-6" is a safe bet for much of west and southwest Michigan. Some places may jump above 6" where the heaviest of banding sets up. Further north, our typically higher terrain in the Gaylord region will likely see snowfall totals over 6". Into the UP, much cooler temperatures exist here, and snowfall rates may exceed 1" per hour at times. Totals closer to the one foot mark are likely. The western UP does exhibit a decent chance at totals crossing into the 12-24" category. At the current time, totals are leaning on the lower end of the 12-24" category, but those hotspots where microclimate factors come into play could easily push the upper-bounds of this category. SE Michigan... life carries on once more. Being so far away from the lake effect zones, it's expected that you all will get an inch at most. Isolated hotspots of 1-2" are possible, but don't get your hopes up unless you're close to the Ohio border.
Why 1-3" at the border? Well, we do have a clipper passing to our south Saturday, hence the added 1-3" zone that runs along the MI/IN/OH border. Stay tuned here at MSC for updates this weekend on the lake effect snow AND cold that's set to impact us through Monday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskeyThe switch is being flipped into the "on" position for lake effect snow this weekend. Much of what you see won't fall today, but as our extremely cold air mass pushes in late tonight, flurries will begin to fly. Much of the higher totals begin beyond 8 pm EST tonight. Lakeshore areas should prepare for travel delays primarily after this time beginning tonight. Heavy lake effect snow will continue on Saturday thanks to a west-northwest wind, which hints at a shift to out of the northwest by Sunday.
There are concerns with dry air, however the favorable zone for dendrites (snowflakes) to form is essentially on the ground with how cold it'll be. Air temperatures on Saturday alone in the UP may just barely be in the positive single-digits. Wind gusts this weekend may jump to 30-35 mph too, so some of this lake effect snow will push further inland. Totals of 1-3" & 2-6" is a safe bet for much of west and southwest Michigan. Some places may jump above 6" where the heaviest of banding sets up. Further north, our typically higher terrain in the Gaylord region will likely see snowfall totals over 6". Into the UP, much cooler temperatures exist here, and snowfall rates may exceed 1" per hour at times. Totals closer to the one foot mark are likely. The western UP does exhibit a decent chance at totals crossing into the 12-24" category. At the current time, totals are leaning on the lower end of the 12-24" category, but those hotspots where microclimate factors come into play could easily push the upper-bounds of this category. SE Michigan... life carries on once more. Being so far away from the lake effect zones, it's expected that you all will get an inch at most. Isolated hotspots of 1-2" are possible, but don't get your hopes up unless you're close to the Ohio border.
Why 1-3" at the border? Well, we do have a clipper passing to our south Saturday, hence the added 1-3" zone that runs along the MI/IN/OH border. Stay tuned here at MSC for updates this weekend on the lake effect snow AND cold that's set to impact us through Monday.
-- Trusted Partner of the Day --
McKay Tree Specialists | 248-308-7308, call today for all your tree care needs in SE Michigan!