Sault Ste. Marie Trail Report – 12/26
SAULT STE. MARIE UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association – 12/26
Good evening! Well, it’s been a day around here! First we had drag stuck in Raco and then Steve had a really tough day out on trail 49. The 35” of snow is definitely challenging us! Here is Steve’s report-
“I spent the day on Trail 49. It was tough going.
It took me a couple hours to go from 3 Mile to 6 Mile. I got stuck three times in indescribably deep snow. It is amazing what one can accomplish with a square nose garden shovel. I was able to dig out and keep moving.
At 6 Mile, I circled back to Chippewa Motors and dropped the drag there. I hopped back on the trail at Walmart and headed south.
I got stuck a couple more times without a drag hooked on. I went all the way to Devil’s Hill south of 12 Mile. (See the screen shot that shows this spot as the green line above the Beaver Pond that I circled. This is as far as we can make it until the pond freezes).
On the return trip, I came across a nice girl on a sled that got nervous with the conditions and tried to turn around and head back north. She was stuck bad but the trusty shovel and every bit of strength the two of us had got her moving again.
I followed her north and made it to the bridge behind the CCRC. The groomer busted through right at the bridge.
Decided there was no way I could get past the bridge so I turned around and got ready to head back south. Another snowmobile came by and stopped to check on me. He buried his sled too. It took a little bit but we were able to get him out. I followed him south and made sure he got back to a road.
Finally, got back to the barn where Pete met me and finished up the fueling and paperwork.
Leaving the barn I got my truck stuck at the end of the driveway.
It was one of those days but I am still smiling.
The trail needs some sled traffic but I hate to send sleds through there. This warmup might be what we need to tighten things up.
Rider’s definitely should not ride alone with the conditions we have.
Conditions are bad but I think we are on the right track to get drags through the trails in the near future.”
Steve also mentioned that when he opened the cab door on the Tucker in some areas, the bottom of the door was pushing snow😳
We cannot thank our volunteers enough for the dedication and hours that they put in! Please be patient as we work through these hazards. We have A LOT of swamp areas in our end of the UP that areas just west do not. Coupled with 35” of new snow, it’s going to take time to get everything in great shape.
Thanks all!
Oh almost forgot… already another 4” and still snowing tonight
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Good morning all! We hope you all had a nice weekend with family and friends!
Pete and Sandi were out last night grooming the city trails again. Here’s Pete’s report-
“Merry Christmas to all! The City trails are groomed again! In most areas, I couldn’t even tell we had groomed just 24 hours ago. Most areas were drifted in bad. The bypass around the water hole by the tunnel is groomed. I tried grooming the courtesy trail to Chippewa Motors, but there is a large water hole at the back of their property by the power lines. Be very careful around the new medical building on trail 449 as it runs along 129. The reroute is a little tricky with some hazards. I groomed the ditch closest to the road. The snow is very soft and deep there as well. Hopefully we can continue to drag snow into the ditch and build it up.
I used the limb masher a lot tonight, and cleared a bunch of branches hanging over the trail. I also made a couple more swipes out of the snow piles on the trail in town.
All in all, the trails are not bad at all. I couldn’t do much grooming, mostly panning and drift clearing. But you can feel the trail starting to firm up.
Saw tracks of one sled, and it was nice to see the rider respecting a fresh groom! The tracks were smooth and even, with no track spinning!
Hard to believe my next groomer trip will
Be next year! 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
Picture is of the water hole behind Chippewa Motors. I imagine there are similar holes in the swampy areas of 49, 480, and 472. We will follow up once we can get through those trails.
Thanks all! 3-6” today on top of the 35” we got with the storm. Going to take a bit to get it all smoothed out❄❄❄
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Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association Facebook Page
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Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association Trail Report on MSA
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Postings From Regional Pages On Facebook
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A couple rounds of heavy lake effect snow will develop first across Luce County tonight through tomorrow, then across the western U.P./Keweenaw tomorrow into Saturday afternoon. Winter Weather Advisories and Warnings are in effect from tonight through Saturday afternoon. Greatest snowfall accumulations are expected across the higher terrain west of a line from Ironwood to White Plains, and from Mass City to Painesdale. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaA couple rounds of heavy lake effect snow will develop first across Luce County tonight through tomorrow, then across the western U.P./Keweenaw tomorrow into Saturday afternoon. Winter Weather Advisories and Warnings are in effect from tonight through Saturday afternoon. Greatest snowfall accumulations are expected across the higher terrain west of a line from Ironwood to White Plains, and from Mass City to Painesdale.
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 1/14/26
Good evening!
We saw a huge temperature swing today, after wet snow and rain later in the day yesterday. 35 last night, 1 tonight with negative windchills🥶
Lane and Randy went on a mission today to work on trail 49 where some water holes opened up during the warm up.
Here’s what Lane had to say, and photos to give you all a visual-
“I took 49 north out of Kinross to try to work on a water hole just south of 9 mile. I took Randy along with me and I was glad I did, he was a big help. That hole is a very deep hole. We filled it with as much ice and snow as we could. It is not pretty, but should freeze in good with these temps. We also worked on a few other water spots that filled in great. The bridge just south of 8 mile had a trench of water on the bridge. That filled in good and will freeze up good also. All the rest of the trail is great. The swamp south of 12 mile held up great and groomed really nice.”
Thank you, Lane and Randy! The timing for this work could not be better. Mid week traffic is light, temps are frigid, and there’s not any significant snow forecasted, so these spots should really lock up now.
The work that our operators put in to the spot south of 11 mile, and near Devils Hill are holding up awesome, even after the warm up the last few days.
This trail continues to improve with each run, and is still so far ahead of where we normally are this time in the season.
Ride safe and stay warm! ❄️❄️❄️ #soo #soo0114b #snowphotos
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 1/14/26
Brimley Bill did the Brimley to Raco route tonight, which is 8 between Brimley and Ranger Rd, and 480 from the Spile Dam Turnaround to 8.
Here’s what he had to say-
“The base is real solid. There were sections of trail with a lot of drifts on the edges. I was able to cut into all the drifts with the Dubie wings, and pull the snow back into the trail. The result is trails that are smooth and flat across the width of the trail.“
Looks awesome, thank you Bill!! 🙌🏼 #soo #soo0114 #snowphotos
WEATHER UPDATE via Michigan Storm Chasers >> Here is your final look at snowfall totals over a 36-hour period from tonight, through midday Thursday, January 14th through 15th, 2026. NOTE, snow will start overnight for the UP, but later tomorrow morning into the afternoon for the LP.
Discussion
Lake effect snow is the rave with this one. Winds almost directly out of the north coupled with low-level DGZ and strong forcing will allow for many of the areas in dark blue, and especially pink pick up well over half a foot of fresh snow with this event. Hyper-localized banding is expected, which is when the span of 20 miles sees a difference in snow accumulation of 1", to perhaps 12-18". A 1° change in wind direction will help, or hurt your chances at significant snowfall if you're right along the lakeshore areas, especially SW Michigan.
Inland areas will only see under an inch within an initial snow squall and light lake effect afterward. We are not confident that the stretch from Lansing to Port Huron will get more than 1.5", but we put 1-3" just in case. Lake Huron will also show off lake effect snow, with parts of Huron county seeing 4-8". To the north, northwest lower Michigan will see 2-5" and 4-8", with a localized swath of 6"+ near Manistee and points surrounding. Lastly, the UP will see its highest totals along the higher elevation areas of the central portion of the peninsula.
Wind gusts up to 30 mph, even 40-45 mph are likely with this snow, and as a result, near-zero visibilities and drifted roads may occur near each lakeshore. Allow extra travel time when driving on Wednesday in the 4-8", or 6-12"/6-18" zones. We will have radar, weather camera, and traffic updates coming tomorrow as the snow comes down, so drop a follow here at Michigan Storm Chasers for coverage. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskeyHere is your final look at snowfall totals over a 36-hour period from tonight, through midday Thursday, January 14th through 15th, 2026. NOTE, snow will start overnight for the UP, but later tomorrow morning into the afternoon for the LP.
Discussion
Lake effect snow is the rave with this one. Winds almost directly out of the north coupled with low-level DGZ and strong forcing will allow for many of the areas in dark blue, and especially pink pick up well over half a foot of fresh snow with this event. Hyper-localized banding is expected, which is when the span of 20 miles sees a difference in snow accumulation of 1", to perhaps 12-18". A 1° change in wind direction will help, or hurt your chances at significant snowfall if you're right along the lakeshore areas, especially SW Michigan.
Inland areas will only see under an inch within an initial snow squall and light lake effect afterward. We are not confident that the stretch from Lansing to Port Huron will get more than 1.5", but we put 1-3" just in case. Lake Huron will also show off lake effect snow, with parts of Huron county seeing 4-8". To the north, northwest lower Michigan will see 2-5" and 4-8", with a localized swath of 6"+ near Manistee and points surrounding. Lastly, the UP will see its highest totals along the higher elevation areas of the central portion of the peninsula.
Wind gusts up to 30 mph, even 40-45 mph are likely with this snow, and as a result, near-zero visibilities and drifted roads may occur near each lakeshore. Allow extra travel time when driving on Wednesday in the 4-8", or 6-12"/6-18" zones. We will have radar, weather camera, and traffic updates coming tomorrow as the snow comes down, so drop a follow here at Michigan Storm Chasers for coverage.
-- Trusted Partner on Wednesday --
Top Gun Roofing & Exteriors | 616-900-8033, call today for all exterior home needs across the Grand Rapids area!
WEATHER UPDATE via Meteorologist Brad Sugden >> SNOW TIME!! Lake effect areas, you're about to be buried in some locations! This is purely lake effect that kicks in Wednesday morning and lasts through Thursday afternoon. Thursday afternoon the lake effect subsides as another clipper system moves in.
Temperatures are warmest Wednesday morning then drop significantly into the late afternoon and evening. Many will have wind chills below zero.
Snow will be fluffy and BLOWING. Gusts near 40mph can be expected. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #munising #newberry #soo #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Old Soo Line Grade Lodge >> 🎉❄️ TRAIL 480 IS OFFICIALLY REOPENED! ❄️🎉
The bridge is in, the trail is groomed, and Trail 480 is back in action in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula! 💨 This is a HUGE win for riders and a key connection for our local trail system.
A big THANK YOU goes out to the Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association for their tireless work grooming and advocating for our trails, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for their coordination and support, and the contractor who delivered a solid bridge that will serve riders for years to come. 👏👏👏
This project took teamwork, patience, and dedication—and it shows. We’re proud to see riders safely crossing once again and enjoying everything the U.P. has to offer.
If you’re riding through the area, fuel up, ride safe, and enjoy the fresh trail!
** There is still exposed stone at the bridge …. Please see the updates on the associations page!
Stay Safe …
📍 Trail 480 | Eastern U.P.
🏁 Open • Groomed • Ready to Ride #soo🎉❄️ TRAIL 480 IS OFFICIALLY REOPENED! ❄️🎉
The bridge is in, the trail is groomed, and Trail 480 is back in action in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula! 💨 This is a HUGE win for riders and a key connection for our local trail system.
A big THANK YOU goes out to the Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association for their tireless work grooming and advocating for our trails, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for their coordination and support, and the contractor who delivered a solid bridge that will serve riders for years to come. 👏👏👏
This project took teamwork, patience, and dedication—and it shows. We’re proud to see riders safely crossing once again and enjoying everything the U.P. has to offer.
If you’re riding through the area, fuel up, ride safe, and enjoy the fresh trail!
** There is still exposed stone at the bridge …. Please see the updates on the associations page!
Stay Safe …
📍 Trail 480 | Eastern U.P.
🏁 Open • Groomed • Ready to Ride
#Trail480 #UPSnowmobiling #BackOnTheTrail #SaultSnowmobile #OldSooLineGrade #RideTheUP #SnowmobilingMichigan #ThankYouGroomers #MIDNR
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