Gaylord Area Trail Report – 03/17
Gaylord Bureau – March 17, 2026 4:15 p.m. Gaylord is buried in snow after this weekend’s blizzard! The groomer was busy last night and today, creating excellent conditions on all trails. Enjoy the snow! Please note, due to last April’s ice storm, there are logging operations in some locations. Logging is taking place on the intersection of trails 7 & 4 (Waters) toward Dodge Lake and near Turtle Lake Road (East of Gaylord). The logging trucks may use the trail as a road at times. Proceed with caution in these areas. Trails are still passable and the groomers are doing their best to keep the trails smooth in these areas. 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/ <> It’s 19 and rock hard out there. Even harder than yesterday, it was down to about 6 overnight and the moist snow that there was yesterday is even harder today. Still waiting on a loader to come and plow out my storage area. They say they cant make it till wednesday. I have never seen this type of snow event before. Still businesses closed today. I did have 3 sleds ride in this morning an they said its a bit tough. There were really alot of sleds out and about yesterday but I have only seen the 3 this morning and its now 11 a.m. ON the bright side I did see the grayling groomer come thru Frederic and thats good but it has to even be tough on the groomers trying to knock that ice down. Supposed to get warmer in the next couple days. This is a tough one. The swamp got open about noon thirty yesterday and they had a steady stream of people over there all day. Wish I had better things to say. Thanks for checking in. Pete http://frederic-mi.com/category/trail-conditions/ 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. FREDERIC - GAYLORD AREA UPDATE via Sledheads of Frederic , Michigan Snowmobiling >> Its 19 and rock hard out there. Even harder than yesterday, it was down to about 6 overnight and the moist snow that there was yesterday is even harder today. Still waiting on a loader to come and plow out my storage area. They say they cant make it till wednesday. I have never seen this type of snow event before. Still businesses closed today. I did have 3 sleds ride in this morning an they said its a bit tough. There were really alot of sleds out and about yesterday but I have only seen the 3 this morning and its now 11 a.m. ON the bright side I did see the grayling groomer come thru Frederic and thats good but it has to even be tough on the groomers trying to knock that ice down. Supposed to get warmer in the next couple days. This is a tough one. The swamp got open about noon thirty yesterday and they had a steady stream of people over there all day. Wish I had better things to say. Thanks for checking in. Pete #gaylord #snowphotos frederic-mi.com WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Lake effect snow lingers across northwest Lower and pushes inland this afternoon. Hazardous travel with reduced visibilities at times will be possible with winds decreasing through the day. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskeyLake effect snow lingers across northwest Lower and pushes inland this afternoon. Hazardous travel with reduced visibilities at times will be possible with winds decreasing through the day. FREDERIC - GAYLORD AREA UPDATE via Sledheads of Frederic , Michigan Snowmobiling >> #frederic #gaylord #snowphotos WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Lingering icing across parts of northern lower MI this morning transitions to snow area-wide today. Several inches of new snow likely through tonight, heaviest across parts of the eastern U.P. and northwest lower. Snow combined with strong winds will result in whiteouts at times, especially near the Lake Michigan shoreline. WEATHER UPDATE via Great Lakes Weather & Climate >> The Houghton Lake and Roscommon County areas have been severely hit by freezing rain in the past 24 hrs, leading to a declaration of a local state of emergency by the Roscommon County Board. GAYLORD AREA UPDATE via Heart Lake Resort Cottages - Gaylord, MI >> We are still open & operational at this time! <> <>
– 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
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. 
*Additionally, strong winds in areas that received heavy icing will exacerbate tree damage and infrastructural impacts*
Cold temperatures filter in to northern Michigan behind the major winter storm. Consequently, for those without power, dangerously cold temperatures are expected this afternoon through Tuesday night. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey
They report that tree damage has led to ~87% of the county's residents losing power as of this morning (3/16). One webcam that was operational on the east side of the lake displays ice-encrusted trees along the shoreline. Winds today could unfortunately exacerbate the power outage situation. #miweather #gaylordThe Houghton Lake and Roscommon County areas have been severely hit by freezing rain in the past 24 hrs, leading to a declaration of a local state of emergency by the Roscommon County Board.
They report that tree damage has led to ~87% of the county's residents losing power as of this morning (3/16). One webcam that was operational on the east side of the lake displays ice-encrusted trees along the shoreline. Winds today could unfortunately exacerbate the power outage situation.
Please pray for continuation of power & safety. But so far so good at Heart Lake Resort! #gaylord #snowphotos
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