Gaylord Area Trail Report – 12/26
Gaylord Bureau – December 24, 2025 With the recent warmer temperatures and sunshine, trail conditions have taken a hit and are in poor shape. Grooming will resume as soon as snowfall and colder temps allow. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for fresh snow soon and will continue to share updates along the way. Please note, due to last April’s ice storm, there is a logging operation near Turtle Lake Road and Douglas Lake Road – the logging trucks are using the trail as a road. The trails are passable, but they’re in poor shape. Proceed with caution in these areas. If this winter is anything like last year, it’s going to be another epic one! Want to be ready? Get a free trail map delivered right to your mailbox and plan your adventure! Check out a live view of trail # 7 here. A few things to remember about our groomers and trails: – Groomers are out there to help you have a better riding experience and always have the right of way. Want to be ready? Get a free trail map delivered right to your mailbox and plan your adventure! As always, check back with us for updates and weather reports. <> http://www.gaylordmichigan.net/snowmobile-trail-report-114/ <> 30 years ago this would have been the start of hell week. GM, Chrysler, & Ford would all be closed up and thousands would flock north for winter break and fun in the snow. Well fast forward from that 30 years ago and its pretty darn lonely here now. Sleet coming down this morning and a marginal amount of snow. It used to be so much different with snow in Frederic compared to Grayling. Forcast isnt looking great for this week either. I did see a few sleds out on Christmas eve day and the pic below of the 3 of them over at the swamp. Nothing so far today and its 11 a..m and 29 degrees. So it looks like I will get a few t.v. shows in this week. Stop by and say Hi if you do make it up or just wake me up if you catch me taking a nap. https://youtu.be/dCwgYCMq11g?si=mey8eKZMbZyscZJg Thanks for checking in. Pete http://frederic-mi.com/category/trail-conditions/ FREDERIC - GAYLORD AREA UPDATE via Sledheads of Frederic , Michigan Snowmobiling >> 30 years ago this would have been the start of hell week. GM, Chrysler, & Ford would all be closed up and thousands would flock north for winter break and fun in the snow. Well fast forward from that 30 years ago and its pretty darn lonely here now. Sleet coming down this morning and a marginal amount of snow. It used to be so much different with snow in Frederic compared to Grayling. Forcast isnt looking great for this week either. I did see a few sleds out on Christmas eve day and the pic below of the 3 of them over at the swamp. Nothing so far today and its 11 a..m and 29 degrees. So it looks like I will get a few t.v. shows in this week. Stop by and say Hi if you do make it up or just wake me up if you catch me taking a nap. youtu.be/dCwgYCMq11g?si=mey8eKZMbZyscZJg frederic-mi.com WOLVERINE - GAYLORD AREA UPDATE via The Thirsty Sturgeon >> If you’re thinking about coming to the Thirsty today…be careful please. Things are extremely slick and a hockey game could break out anytime in the parking lot!! #gaylord #snowphotosIf you’re thinking about coming to the Thirsty today…be careful please. Things are extremely slick and a hockey game could break out anytime in the parking lot!! WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Wintry mix peaks this morning, tapering to some drizzle / freezing drizzle late this afternoon into tonight. We trend milder into Saturday and especially Sunday before the next system builds into the region, bringing falling temps and, eventually, the return of snow. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey #soo #newberry WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Here's the latest on the wintry mix tonight into Friday. Expect 3-6" of snow across the E UP, up to 2" of snow/sleet in northern lower N of M-72 in addition to a light glaze of ice, and up to 0.10" of ice accumulation south of M-72. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey #soo #newberryHere's the latest on the wintry mix tonight into Friday. Expect 3-6" of snow across the E UP, up to 2" of snow/sleet in northern lower N of M-72 in addition to a light glaze of ice, and up to 0.10" of ice accumulation south of M-72. JORDAN VALLEY AREA UPDATE via Jordan Valley Trails Council >> Merry Christmas from all of us at Jordan Valley Trails #jordanvalley #gaylordMerry Christmas from all of us at Jordan Valley Trails WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> A messy winter system will bring impacts the region at varying times to the region tonight and much of Friday. Accumulating snow will be most impactful in eastern upper, while a messy mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain / drizzle impacts much of northern lower. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey WEATHER UPDATE via Michigan Storm Chasers >> On top of our second call ice map, here is our second call snowfall map for December 26th, 2025. It's a messy system with multiple precipitation types, so be sure to click on our page to go see our ice forecast.... #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskeyOn top of our second call ice map, here is our second call snowfall map for December 26th, 2025. It's a messy system with multiple precipitation types, so be sure to click on our page to go see our ice forecast. The key does not match the colors on the map what is orange? WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain later Thursday night through Friday. The highest snow accumulations will be across the eastern UP, with 2 to 5 inches of snow possible. The potential exists for up to 0.10” of ice south of M-72. Stay tuned for the latest updates! #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey Anybody up in the Gaylord are or mancelona that knows how the trails are. I wanna ride Friday and or Saturday Are Gaylord trails gonna be any good for Friday and or Saturday FREDERIC - GAYLORD AREA UPDATE >> Merry Christmas Eve day. To bad the sun is out and going to melt more of our snow today. It made it up to 43 yesterday and we lost alot. I saw a few sleds across the street and heard one brapp yesterday. Very quiet out there this morning and its not looking like we will get any snow until about New Years which is not what we want to see. Even Grayling was like a ghost town when I drove thru town this morning. Pics below are from a the long lost tribe of Frederican Mohicans gathering and chanting MO MO NAH CHEE CHEE NAH in hopes of some fresh snow. I ran into them last night. Hoping their snow chant will work. Thanks for checking in. Pete #gaylord #snowphotos 35 degrees, and sun in downtown Frederic frederic-mi.com WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> The next shot for widespread precipitation over the state arrives late Thursday into Friday. Primarily snow is expected over the U.P. with higher chances for a wintry mix/freezing rain over lower Michigan. Post-holiday travel may be impacted across parts of the state. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskeyThe next shot for widespread precipitation over the state arrives late Thursday into Friday. Primarily snow is expected over the U.P. with higher chances for a wintry mix/freezing rain over lower Michigan. Post-holiday travel may be impacted across parts of the state. <> <>
12:00 p.m.
– Please move off the trail when groomers are approaching and allow them to safely pass.
– If you approach a groomer from behind, kindly wait for the operator to signal you to pass.
– Grooming can take place at any time during the day or night, so stay alert.
– Always ride on the right side of the trail.
– Ride safe and ride sober.Postings From Regional Pages On Facebook
Thanks for checking in. Pete #gaylord 
Discussion
The north side of the low will have much colder air, and the deformation zone for this event will be set up across the eastern UP and Lake Superior region. Totals greater than 1" of snow (some melting) will be confined north of M-55 to the Mackinac Bridge, while totals closer to the 3"+ mark are confined from St. Ignace up to Paradise and Sault Ste. Marie. Additionally, the Keweenaw Peninsula also may see the highest snowfall totals too.
You may have noticed that we added a new color for this event only. Because there is a gradual change from rain to snow... freezing rain, and even sleet is expected with this event. Sleet is like the shared sibling between snow and freezing rain. Sleet is snow that melted to rain really high up immediately after falling from the clouds, but spent enough time in the cold sector after melting to reform into tiny pellets. Freezing rain, however, forms when there isn't enough time for the rain to reform back into those tiny ice pellets due to that warm sector close to the ground, but because the ground itself IS a cold sector, it freezes on contact. Yes, sleet is slippery, but due to its properties, it's not quite as impactful. Still, because of the sleet's size, it accumulates in tenths of an inch similar to snow instead of hundredths like freezing rain. As a result, much of the white trace-1" corridor will likely fall as <1" of both snow and sleet. Again, not a huge amount, but worth mentioning. Timing for this snowfall will be similar to that of the ice. Anytime from 6 am EST Friday through the end of the day Friday is the expected duration.
Winter weather advisories are now in effect for the eastern UP regarding this snowfall. We will have traffic impact maps and timing maps coming later this afternoon after our Christmas morning activities. See you all back here soon!
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