Sault Ste. Marie Area Trail Report – 02/04
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 02/04
2/4/25
Good morning everyone! Steve sent me a detailed report of his run last night, so let’s get to it!
“Last night was another group effort on the run from the Soo to Kinross on Trail 49.
Groomer Nathan started early and groomed from the club barn to the substation just south of 3 Mile Rd. I took over from there and headed south.
I struggled a bit early trying to carry the right amount of snow with me. I just couldn’t get a good feel for it. Made it to Kinross and turned around for the return trip.
Immediately, I realized the drag was digging in deeper than I like. I made lots of adjustments but I could not correct it. I stopped and called Groomer Dennis to see if he had any suggestions. He had me look over the drag but didn’t see anything obvious.
I proceeded on and went another couple hundred yards and stopped again. The left rear corner of the drag was digging in and leaving a depression in the center of the trail. I wasn’t able to cover my tracks and was really disappointed with the finished product.
I then called Groomer Mike and he had me check a whole list of things he could think of that might be causing it. After laying in the snow looking underneath the drag, I was getting very wet and cold. I could not find anything out of place.
I proceeded on and did the best I could. Dennis met me earlier than normal and took over the route to eliminate me from the equation. He had the same issue but maybe not to level I was seeing.
Overall, the trail is in great shape. I knocked down a lot of bumps and drifts and leveled the best I could. Unfortunately, there is a clear step between both passes in the trail. Trail is soft so it will settle quickly with sled traffic.
We think the conditions may have played a big part in the finished product last night. Our crew will take a look at the drag today once it is thawed out and see if we have any mechanical issues. I felt like the drag had a twist in it that I could not adjust out.
Finally, I may have had an off night. I felt comfortable behind the controls but never was happy with what I was seeing in the rear-view mirrors. We didn’t leave a white ribbon last night but the trail is still almost perfect. Please get out and enjoy it while the conditions are this good.
Steve Lawson”
I too, feel that this drag is off. We are very hopeful that we will be eligible for a new drag next season, as this one has run its course. We’ve repaired it and replaced parts but it’s just not doing as good a job as it once did.
Thank you Steve and all volunteers!
A bit of snow is on the way again ahead of the weekend! ❄️❄️❄️
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Postings From Regional Pages On Facebook
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Heavy snow and strong winds expected to spread across Upper Michigan Sunday night and Monday. Hazardous to dangerous driving conditions and power outages will be possible. Those with travel plans Sunday night and Monday should be prepared to cancel or adjust those plans! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will cause slippery conditions across Upper Michigan this morning, ending from west to east through the afternoon. Isolated power outages will be possible in parts of western Upper Michigan. Attention then turns to additional rounds of winter precipitation both Saturday night/Sunday and Sunday night/Monday. Models continue to trend toward accumulating snow from Sunday night into Monday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaA mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will cause slippery conditions across Upper Michigan this morning, ending from west to east through the afternoon. Isolated power outages will be possible in parts of western Upper Michigan. Attention then turns to additional rounds of winter precipitation both Saturday night/Sunday and Sunday night/Monday. Models continue to trend toward accumulating snow from Sunday night into Monday.
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
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/26/25
Good morning, all! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Our wish has been granted and snow has returned! How much we will get remains to be seen, but sounds like 6” for our general area by tomorrow, then more later in the weekend. Our Raco crew is out on the 889 loop as I type this, and we’ll update once groomers are able to roll out in other areas.
As a reminder- trail 472 from Tilson Rd all the way to the Raco gate on 480 has lots of heavy equipment and a partially plowed road in there with exposed rocks due to bridge construction. We are advising that you stay out of there for now please. We cannot groom it either. See the pinned post for more info and for the exact location.
Also see the post from yesterday for the trouble spots on trail 49.
All other trails have good coveage and a solid base. This new snow will only help.
As always, we will keep you posted! ❄️❄️❄️ #soo
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.
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain may result in slippery roadways and isolated power outages tonight into Friday morning. Those with travel plans should leave extra time for travel! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
FROM Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/25/25
We hope you’re having a great Christmas! Trails are pretty hard packed and icy in spots, and we definitely need snow.
Big thanks to rider Chuck for sending us these pics. These are the worst of the worst spots on our trail system right now. This is trail 49 south of the Soo, north of Kinross. He said that overall the trail is pretty fair with the exception of these spots.
These are the usual trouble spots in the early season. However, we normally can’t even groom this trail until mid January so we are pleased to be ahead of the game.
If we get the new snow that’s forecasted, these areas will easily be filled in.
Always important to share the bad spots too, so we appreciate the pics Chuck!
We’ll keep you updated as snow returns tomorrow into the weekend. ❄️❄️❄️ #soo #soo2 #snowphotos
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Expect a wintery mix to develop across the U.P. tonight and continue into Friday morning, ending west to east through the day. Mainly snow is expected for the far north and east with mainly freezing rain near the MI/WI stateline. Those with travel plans should leave extra time for travel as roads could be slippery. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect tonight into Friday for the entire U.P.
For more information, visit the full briefing packet here :https://www.weather.gov/media/mqt/DssPacket.pdf #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
Can we expect any significant lake effect between now and New Year's?
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> Merry Christmas everyone! Santa looks to be bringing us some snow! Have a wonderful day with family and friends🎄❄️❤️ #sooMerry Christmas everyone! Santa looks to be bringing us some snow! Have a wonderful day with family and friends🎄❄️❤️
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.
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!
-- Trusted Partner of the Day --
Kuiper Tree Care | Call 616-828-8225 for your top option regarding all your west Michigan tree care needs!
The key does not match the colors on the map
what is orange?
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Overall travel conditions should be smooth through Christmas Day. A system tracking through the region brings a round of snow and possibly freezing rain Christmas night into Friday. Highest snowfall amounts are expected in the northern half of the U.P. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaOverall travel conditions should be smooth through Christmas Day. A system tracking through the region brings a round of snow and possibly freezing rain Christmas night into Friday. Highest snowfall amounts are expected in the northern half of the U.P.
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WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Heavy snow and strong winds expected to spread across Upper Michigan Sunday night and Monday. Hazardous to dangerous driving conditions and power outages will be possible. Those with travel plans Sunday night and Monday should be prepared to cancel or adjust those plans! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will cause slippery conditions across Upper Michigan this morning, ending from west to east through the afternoon. Isolated power outages will be possible in parts of western Upper Michigan. Attention then turns to additional rounds of winter precipitation both Saturday night/Sunday and Sunday night/Monday. Models continue to trend toward accumulating snow from Sunday night into Monday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaA mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will cause slippery conditions across Upper Michigan this morning, ending from west to east through the afternoon. Isolated power outages will be possible in parts of western Upper Michigan. Attention then turns to additional rounds of winter precipitation both Saturday night/Sunday and Sunday night/Monday. Models continue to trend toward accumulating snow from Sunday night into Monday.
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
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/26/25
Good morning, all! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Our wish has been granted and snow has returned! How much we will get remains to be seen, but sounds like 6” for our general area by tomorrow, then more later in the weekend. Our Raco crew is out on the 889 loop as I type this, and we’ll update once groomers are able to roll out in other areas.
As a reminder- trail 472 from Tilson Rd all the way to the Raco gate on 480 has lots of heavy equipment and a partially plowed road in there with exposed rocks due to bridge construction. We are advising that you stay out of there for now please. We cannot groom it either. See the pinned post for more info and for the exact location.
Also see the post from yesterday for the trouble spots on trail 49.
All other trails have good coveage and a solid base. This new snow will only help.
As always, we will keep you posted! ❄️❄️❄️ #soo
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.
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain may result in slippery roadways and isolated power outages tonight into Friday morning. Those with travel plans should leave extra time for travel! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
FROM Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 12/25/25
We hope you’re having a great Christmas! Trails are pretty hard packed and icy in spots, and we definitely need snow.
Big thanks to rider Chuck for sending us these pics. These are the worst of the worst spots on our trail system right now. This is trail 49 south of the Soo, north of Kinross. He said that overall the trail is pretty fair with the exception of these spots.
These are the usual trouble spots in the early season. However, we normally can’t even groom this trail until mid January so we are pleased to be ahead of the game.
If we get the new snow that’s forecasted, these areas will easily be filled in.
Always important to share the bad spots too, so we appreciate the pics Chuck!
We’ll keep you updated as snow returns tomorrow into the weekend. ❄️❄️❄️ #soo #soo2 #snowphotos
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Expect a wintery mix to develop across the U.P. tonight and continue into Friday morning, ending west to east through the day. Mainly snow is expected for the far north and east with mainly freezing rain near the MI/WI stateline. Those with travel plans should leave extra time for travel as roads could be slippery. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect tonight into Friday for the entire U.P.
For more information, visit the full briefing packet here :https://www.weather.gov/media/mqt/DssPacket.pdf #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
Can we expect any significant lake effect between now and New Year's?
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> Merry Christmas everyone! Santa looks to be bringing us some snow! Have a wonderful day with family and friends🎄❄️❤️ #sooMerry Christmas everyone! Santa looks to be bringing us some snow! Have a wonderful day with family and friends🎄❄️❤️
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.
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!
-- Trusted Partner of the Day --
Kuiper Tree Care | Call 616-828-8225 for your top option regarding all your west Michigan tree care needs!
The key does not match the colors on the map
what is orange?
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Overall travel conditions should be smooth through Christmas Day. A system tracking through the region brings a round of snow and possibly freezing rain Christmas night into Friday. Highest snowfall amounts are expected in the northern half of the U.P. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaOverall travel conditions should be smooth through Christmas Day. A system tracking through the region brings a round of snow and possibly freezing rain Christmas night into Friday. Highest snowfall amounts are expected in the northern half of the U.P.
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