SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/29
12/29 5:30 PM update
We are strategizing our grooming plan. Winds are still extremely high, and snow is still falling on and off, causing white out conditions and downed trees, as well as power outages. MANY area businesses remain closed.
The Pisten Bully that normally runs the Brimley, Raco, (part of 480, 8, and the Raco Powerline) and Bay Mills (889) areas is still down at the Soo barn, awaiting a part and a quick repair, so those areas will not be groomed until it’s back out there, hopefully tomorrow.
The Kinross crew is waiting for winds to die down some and then they’ll work on 49 south of M80 and the 494 loop.
Don’t even think about taking 472 west of Mac Trail or 480 to the Spile Dam gate (see the pinned post). Trust us. With next to zero visibility and all of that construction equipment in there, it’s just not a good idea.
I am waiting to hear about trail 49 from the Soo to Kinross. Winds may still be too high to groom that, as there are a ton of open areas and it will not make any difference at all.
We’ll attempt the city trails and trail 8 from the Soo to Brimley later tonight.
We are hearing reports of huge drifts along with downed trees, so it may take a few runs to get things back to normal.
We cannot stress this enough- if for some reason you decide to ride (which we are not advising), do not ride alone. Bring a saw and emergency supplies, and be aware that first responders and tow companies will be very busy and it will be very difficult to help you if you have an issue. Download and use the What3Words app. You never know when you might need it.
All open areas will have monster drifts.
I’m hearing 6’+ in spots.
All road crossings will have huge berms from the plows until we can punch them out.
We have our work cut out for us. Please be patient and more than anything, please be safe!
It’s going to be amazing once we get things back in shape! ❄️❄️❄️
More to come soon!
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SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/29
12/29/25
Hey everyone!
Please know that we will get groomers out as soon as it makes sense to do so, meaning once our volunteers can get themselves and their homes dug out.
As we have been sharing, many area businesses are closed as the entire area tries to dig out. The winds have caused heavy drifting, and we had heavy freezing rain right up until the snow hit overnight. Again, there will be trees down, and you will encounter heavy drifting. Anywhere that trails cross roads will have large berms from plows that you’ll have to navigate. The snow is heavy and wet, and getting stuck is highly likely, especially for less experienced riders.
Please be patient and be cautious. We will get things back into shape as soon as we can, but we need to prioritize our own homes and businesses first.
Things should be awesome once we can get the trails cleared and groomed.
Thanks all!
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SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/29/25
Good morning everyone! Freezing rain switched over to snow around 11 pm here. We picked up around 6” so far. Trees were coated with ice before the snow hit, and winds have picked up so I have no doubt that there will be trees down.
There will also be large drifts in the open areas. We know that people are here to ride, and we are advising extreme caution if you head out, especially until we can get out and assess the trails.
Surrounding areas, please check in with what you’re seeing for new snow as this storm continues.
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Tonight, isolated to scattered rain showers are expected across the south and east, with maybe a few thunderstorms across the south. Across the north-central, drizzle and freezing drizzle may occur. Tuesday, conditions evolve mainly to a mix of rain and snow before we see a mostly dry Wednesday. #miweather #keweenaw#westernup#marquette#munising #seney #newberry #sooTonight, isolated to scattered rain showers are expected across the south and east, with maybe a few thunderstorms across the south. Across the north-central, drizzle and freezing drizzle may occur. Tuesday, conditions evolve mainly to a mix of rain and snow before we see a mostly dry Wednesday. ... See MoreSee Less
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 3/30/26 Hello everyone! It’s 41 degrees here in the Soo today with warm sunshine. The melt is definitely on. It’s heard to believe that we were still grooming as of yesterday! What a season! The Tucker that sits in Kinross was brought back to the Soo barn yesterday, and the Pisten Bully just came in to the Soo barn this morning from Raco. It’s so bittersweet as we have SO MUCH snow still on the trails, but our operators deserve some well earned rest, and all good things must come to an end. Tonight, we’re holding our groomer appreciation dinner and I’ll get some pics and maybe some Q & A with some of our operators for you about this season. Once I have all of the March paperwork completed, I’ll also share some stats from the season. We’ll be getting gates closed after the 31st, and some are still really buried in snow, so please know where you are riding after 3/31 and stay off of private property. Trails on state and federal lands do not close but will not be groomed. Be safe if you still choose to ride and be alert to rapidly changing conditions such as water holes opening up. It’s going to be one heck of a mud season this year! As of today, we still have 30” of snow on the ground, with a trail base of over 2’ in many areas🤯 Thank you to all who visited our area, rode our trail system, supported our local businesses, donated to or joined our club, who follow us on Groomer Tracker and here on Facebook, the DNR for finding additional grooming dollars to get us through March, our incredible volunteers and members, and most importantly, the AMAZING landowners who allow us to have the wonderful trail system that we have! Best season ever!!! ❄️❄️❄️ PS- there’s rumor of a big snowstorm late this week😅😂 #soo #soo0330#snowphotos... See MoreSee Less
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Cloud cover increases today ahead of the next batch of wintry precipitation that moves in this evening into the night. By tomorrow, the wintry precipitation will become more confined to the north, while showers and thunderstorms sneak into the southern counties. A few of these storms could even become strong at times with large hail. Further out, snow is expected to return from Wednesday night through Thursday morning, eventually transitioning to a wintry mix again by Thursday afternoon. #miweather #keweenaw#westernup#marquette#munising #seney #newberry #sooCloud cover increases today ahead of the next batch of wintry precipitation that moves in this evening into the night. By tomorrow, the wintry precipitation will become more confined to the north, while showers and thunderstorms sneak into the southern counties. A few of these storms could even become strong at times with large hail. Further out, snow is expected to return from Wednesday night through Thursday morning, eventually transitioning to a wintry mix again by Thursday afternoon. ... See MoreSee Less
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 3/28/26 Good evening!! It was Turbo and Diane’s last run for the season on 889. And they made it a double due to someone thinking they could drive a truck on the trail😔 Here’s what they had to say- “This morning was a little bittersweet, as it was our last groom of the season on trails 480, 8 and 889. I really appreciate what Groomer Mark left for me this morning. The trails were nice and flat and smooth. They need very little to touch them up. Honestly, I believe these trails today are better than they were mid-season. It's really a shame that the season ends April 1st. It snowed the whole time. We got about 4" of new snow. This was our first groom this whole season, where I left a perfect ribbon from start to finish. Not one sled track the whole way. So about 6pm tonight we were driving down Plantation road because Mrs. Turbo saw an eagles nest along the courtesy trail to Bay Mills this morning, and we saw a rescue vehicle sitting on the road just past the beginning of trail 889. So we stopped and waited for the rubber tracked skid loader pulling out a pick up truck. I asked him what they were doing driving on the trail and he said they were going to the Mission Hill overlook. I asked him how bad he tore up the trail getting stuck, and he said it was pretty bad. He tried to turn around and ended up getting stuck. I believe he could have driven the whole trail and been fine. The trails are so hard packed, we couldn't hardly see any tire tracks. So Mrs. Turbo and I went home and got our grooming clothes on and went back out to go fix it. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as he told us it was. As beautiful as the trails were this morning, we must have had a lot of traffic today, because it was pretty tore up. So, it was actually a good thing we went out. We saw many sleds. All in all, it was a pretty good day. We hope everyone had a great day of riding. Enjoy, these last few days of the season. Remember, ride right, ride safe and ride sober. Turbo” Thank you so much for your extra efforts today, and all season!! Beautiful job!!❄️❄️❄️ #soo #soo0328b#snowphotos... See MoreSee Less
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> After light snow wraps up this evening, expect partially clearing skies overnight while temperatures fall back mainly into the 20s. Clouds increase Sunday, with a milder day ahead as temperatures climb into the 40s and 50s. #miweather #keweenaw#westernup#marquette#munising #seney #newberry #sooAfter light snow wraps up this evening, expect partially clearing skies overnight while temperatures fall back mainly into the 20s. Clouds increase Sunday, with a milder day ahead as temperatures climb into the 40s and 50s. ... See MoreSee Less
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> AM lake effect snow showers will diminish across the east, but additional snow showers will be possible this afternoon across the northern U.P. After warm and dry days Sunday and Monday, incoming rainfall is expected by late Monday afternoon. High temperatures will top off in the 40s and 50s by Sunday and Monday. The exception will be the northernmost portions of the Keweenaw where upper 30s will linger. #miweather #keweenaw#westernup#marquette#munising #seney #newberry #sooAM lake effect snow showers will diminish across the east, but additional snow showers will be possible this afternoon across the northern U.P. After warm and dry days Sunday and Monday, incoming rainfall is expected by late Monday afternoon. High temperatures will top off in the 40s and 50s by Sunday and Monday. The exception will be the northernmost portions of the Keweenaw where upper 30s will linger. ... See MoreSee Less