Keweenaw Peninsula Trail Report – 02/11
KEWEENAW PENINSULA UPDATE via Keweenaw Snowmobile Club – 2/11 High Rock IYKYK! The team was out last night to try to get things to set up for today. Ride right, ride sober and do those COLD dances these daytime temperatures are for the birds! <> <> <> <> Keweenaw Trail Reports on Facebook >>>> <> 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 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. KEWEENAW PENINSULA UPDATE via Keweenaw Snowmobile Club >> We are happy to announce that Trail 122 to Gay has been cleared of down trees, the snow is thin in a lot of areas - but you can ride to Gay! The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is not open for the season yet. You can see below, it’s slow moving with so many down trees and branches. THANK YOU to the volunteers local and visitors who have helped along with our crew! Not the start to the season we expected, but we have a lot of season ahead! 😁 #keweenaw #snowphotos WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A cold front will push through the area on Friday bringing a period of light snow across the U.P Friday afternoon and early evening. Lake effect snow will develop Friday night and continue into Saturday for the northwest wind snowbelts. Windy conditions and cold temperatures will result in wind chills in the -10s and -20s Friday night into Saturday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaA cold front will push through the area on Friday bringing a period of light snow across the U.P Friday afternoon and early evening. Lake effect snow will develop Friday night and continue into Saturday for the northwest wind snowbelts. Windy conditions and cold temperatures will result in wind chills in the -10s and -20s Friday night into Saturday. WEATHER UPDATE via Meteorologist Brad Sugden >> SNOW TIME!! WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Lake effect snow weakens today, though a couple of inches of fluffy snow is still possible over the east today. The next system to bring widespread snow arrives Friday, with snow totals near 3 inches of the east and for the Copper Country with totals around an inch elsewhere before NW wind lake effect snow resumes. Look for low temps to fall to near 0 in the interior west Friday night! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaLake effect snow weakens today, though a couple of inches of fluffy snow is still possible over the east today. The next system to bring widespread snow arrives Friday, with snow totals near 3 inches of the east and for the Copper Country with totals around an inch elsewhere before NW wind lake effect snow resumes. Look for low temps to fall to near 0 in the interior west Friday night! WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Northwest lake effect snow showers continue, mainly over the eastern U.P. through Thursday night. Cold temperatures persist with lows in the single digits to low 20s, coldest interior west, and highs on Thursday in the 20s. Expect single digit wind chills during the overnight periods. The next round of widespread light snowfall arrives on Friday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaNorthwest lake effect snow showers continue, mainly over the eastern U.P. through Thursday night. Cold temperatures persist with lows in the single digits to low 20s, coldest interior west, and highs on Thursday in the 20s. Expect single digit wind chills during the overnight periods. The next round of widespread light snowfall arrives on Friday. WEATHER UPDATE via Michigan Storm Chasers >> Northwest winds kick in later today, allowing for lake effect snow to return primarily for the areas drenched in shades of blue. A couple locations will pick up 1-3" or greater within the most intense bands. We are monitoring the Kalkaska county region the closest for potential upgrades, but this should be a good base forecast to get you through the end of the day on Thursday, December 11th. This forecast starts at 5 pm EST this evening when the advisories end for the system, while the lake effect bands begin coming on shore. A couple of squalls may produce blowing snow, reduced visibilities under half a mile, and a very miniscule chance for thundersnow. Areas without a color designation are not anticipated to benefit from the lake effect snow this time around. WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Lake effect snow returns to the UP today through tomorrow for the north to northwest wind snowbelts. The greatest accumulations are expected east of Marquette. Gusty north to northwest winds may create areas of low visibility and blowing snow at times. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaLake effect snow returns to the UP today through tomorrow for the north to northwest wind snowbelts. The greatest accumulations are expected east of Marquette. Gusty north to northwest winds may create areas of low visibility and blowing snow at times. WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A quick batch of snowfall is expected tonight into Wednesday as a clipper system tracks to the south. Mainly 1 to 3 inches are expected area-wide. Light lake effect snow lingers in the north, then northwest wind belts Wednesday and Thursday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaA quick batch of snowfall is expected tonight into Wednesday as a clipper system tracks to the south. Mainly 1 to 3 inches are expected area-wide. Light lake effect snow lingers in the north, then northwest wind belts Wednesday and Thursday. ONTONAGON AREA UPDATE via North Country Snowmobile Club UP >> Please enjoy the video our operator Jay Ripp from Cross Plains, WI and his buddy Quincy from Saturday night while they groomed from Ontonagon to LP Walsh Road Saturday into Sunday Morning. Hit and miss grooming is on-going as we continue to work on trails. KEWEENAW PENINSULA UPDATE via Western UP Trail Reports >> 09 December 2025 <> Latest Trail Reports – Quick Links <>Postings From Keweenaw Trail Reports On Facebook
Postings From Western UP Trail Reports On Facebook
<>
Keweenaw Convention & Visitors Bureau Website >>>>
<>
Western & Southern UP Trail Reports on Facebook >>>>Postings From Regional Pages On Facebook
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!
Posted December 11th at 7pm.
This is for Friday night, AND Saturday, AND Sunday. Don't come at me Saturday morning and tell me I'm wrong. Read, please!
Lake effect kicks in after a weak clipper system Friday night into Saturday morning for those in the U.P. and Northern Lower. Lake effect goes most of Saturday in a west northwest wind.
Sunday, that wind is more north. That'll keep the lake effect coming off Lake Superior for the U.P., but confine it to the shoreline areas of the Lower Peninsula.
IT. WILL. BE. COLD. Therefore, we'll have some intense lake effect bands. Some of the smaller lake effect bands in between the bigger ones that develop won't make it very far inland in the cold, dry air. Highs on Saturday will be in the single digits in the West U.P. and 10s every where else. Wind chill will be sub-zero all day long.
Sunday will warm a tad, but still be cold and windy.
I'll post daily maps individually over the next 24hrs. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #soo #straitsarea #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey
We are watching for more snow chances Friday into Saturday. More details either later today, or first thing tomorrow. Keep it tuned in here at MSC! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskeyNorthwest winds kick in later today, allowing for lake effect snow to return primarily for the areas drenched in shades of blue. A couple locations will pick up 1-3" or greater within the most intense bands. We are monitoring the Kalkaska county region the closest for potential upgrades, but this should be a good base forecast to get you through the end of the day on Thursday, December 11th. This forecast starts at 5 pm EST this evening when the advisories end for the system, while the lake effect bands begin coming on shore. A couple of squalls may produce blowing snow, reduced visibilities under half a mile, and a very miniscule chance for thundersnow. Areas without a color designation are not anticipated to benefit from the lake effect snow this time around.
We are watching for more snow chances Friday into Saturday. More details either later today, or first thing tomorrow. Keep it tuned in here at MSC!
-- Trusted Partner of the Day --
Mike Hayes Roofing & Siding | 810-984-4564, call today for all your roofing and siding needs in Sanilac and St. Clair counties!
‼️BE ALERT‼️
We have had some calvary arrive today to help us brush!😍 We will update you on their progress and plans when they get out of the bush. We are very grateful for our Presidents today, VP Ricky Bailey is taking the crew out after President Mac got them all scheduled. It takes a village!
We will post a more complete trail report tomorrow once we get more time on the trails.
Follow along our page, Gogebic Area Grooming, Erika’s Trail Reports - Western UP/Porkies/Ottawa Forest/Ontonagon County, and Keweenaw Trail Reports for the best, most up to date information! COME ON UP and give back to the trails that have given you so much. We really need people out riding with saws in the woods helping to reopen trails!
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! #ontonagon #westernup #keweenaw #snowphotos
Things are shaping up here on the western end after our Thanksgiving snow storm. Follow Western UP Trail Reports for you most honest and accurate trail reports.
☠️ Stretch
Western UP Trail Reports Web Cam
video.nest.com/live/4BKmS6XRiT #keweenaw #snowphotos