KEWEENAW PENINSULA UPDATE via Keweenaw Trail Reports >> 01/08
What is the most amount of miles you have put on a sled?!
Mike Aschliman brought the “OG Rev” up this trip and turned 10,000 smiles riding from Lake of the Clouds to Calumet!
Mike said, “There is definitely more snow south of the bridge. Well done groomers!”
Thanks for sharing Mike! We know you take real good care of that OG Rev!
Notes on Keweenaw Snowmobile Club trail system…
* Trails from Toivola to Mohawk have been groomed almost every night
* Trails 124 is closed for logging
* Trail 134 is a great option for visiting The Mariner North, Copper Harbor Fuel Stop, The Gas Lite General Store – The Genny etc in CH – Copper Harbor has received fresh snowfall also the last few days
* The Valley Sno Drifters/Dreamland Trails are not yet open to Dreamland Restaurant & Bar – but Dreamland is easily accessible by vehicle just down Bootjack Rd out of Lake Linden – Dreamland is a favorite of many!
Notes from the club per Visit Keweenaw website
* ⚠️”Trails north of Mohawk continue to require more snow before grooming can be made. Riding these trails may be considered challenging and the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club urges caution – icy conditions, rocks, thin or bare areas, water may still be present.”
* ⚠️”Keweenaw Snowmobile Club made an opening pass on Trail 133. It is extremely wet and not recommended to ride yet. More snow needed to freeze that trail in.”
* “There is not enough snow yet to groom trails 151, and 152”
* ⚠️”Trail 122 is passable, but ride with caution: expect low snow mixed with mud and early season conditions”
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KEWEENAW PENINSULA UPDATE via Fletchy’s Otter Belly Lodge >> 01/08
Took an early morning ride south to see how it was! I think I was the second sled under the bridge! Honestly the best snow is from to twin lakes outside of that it’s rocky and thin! Keep doing your snow dances! Put in a couple hundred awesome miles!
WEATHER UPDATE via Michigan Storm Chasers >> Alright Michigan.. Let's dive right back into it. We have yet another system coming our way for Sunday into Monday which will bring SEVERAL different impacts to portions of the state... #miweather #keweenaw#westernupAlright Michigan.. Let's dive right back into it. We have yet another system coming our way for Sunday into Monday which will bring SEVERAL different impacts to portions of the state.
Let's start with JUST SUNDAY. This system begins as rain Sunday morning for lower Michigan, with a bit of mixed precipitation possible further north.. think near Mackinac areas.
Sunday afternoon, we will see an uptick in rainfall intensity and even see some thunderstorms across central and southern lower Michigan, with a severe weather risk sitting just off to our south during the afternoon. During this Sunday afternoon period, snow will also begin to ramp up in the Upper Peninsula while northern lower Michigan and the eastern UP will continue to see a mixed precipitation.
Sunday night is when things start to get wild. Temperatures across lower Michigan will drop from 40s and 50s down to the 20s in a matter of 2-4 hours. Keep in mind, it will be raining prior to this temperature drop, so a situation may unfold where wet surfaces will freeze over and become icy. This could be another scenario of what we call a flash freeze.
This concludes SUNDAY'S "part 1" forecast.
This system WILL CONTINUE into MONDAY as a lake effect snow AND wind event.
After midnight and into Monday morning, lake effect snow will ramp up across much of the state, with wind gusts also increasing to 40-50+mph across ALL of Michigan. Major snow accumulations are possible for lake effect belts of western and northern lower Michigan, and much of the UP during Monday. Given strong winds, lake effect bands and snow squalls will likely drift into eastern Michigan which may lightly accumulate in localized areas. A winter storm watch is already in effect for nearly ALL of the UP in anticipation of this system.
In summary, this is a two part system spanning 48+ hours with A LOT going on. We will host a live briefing tonight at 7pm to talk it through.
Expect a full forecast package to be released throughout tomorrow which will likely include first call graphics for:
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. ... See MoreSee Less
KEWEENAW PENINSULA UPDATE via Fletchy’s Otter Belly Lodge >> Took a ride with my pops today to the snow gauge! The trails are fantastic! We made second tracks after the groomer! Get up here and play in the snow!! #keweenaw#snowphotos... See MoreSee Less
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... See MoreSee Less
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! ... See MoreSee Less
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. ... See MoreSee Less
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Old Soo Line Grade Lodge >> 01/08/25
It’s cold out there! At least the sun is shining.
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SAULT STE. MARIE UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association – 01/08
1/8/25
Good morning! A couple reports for you today.
Bryan and his son Logan (future SSMSA groomer) hit the city trails last night. The water hole that Pete and Jay worked on the other night is non existent🙌🏼 The other one between the hills is also frozen solid now for sleds, but he took the bypass in the groomer, just in case. We should be able to run over it in the groomer soon. All in all, nothing notable and they had a good run.
Dennis P ran 472 west and 480 to the Spile Dam turnaround. Snow is thinner to our south, but as you can see, trails still have really good coverage.
We could definitely use more snow over our entire system. Looks like Tuesday – Thursday of next week is our next chance as of now.
Thanks all! Ride safe! Think snow! ❄❄❄
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SAULT STE. MARIE UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association – 01/07
1/7/25 update
Sunny skies and coooooold temps are the story here today. Definitely welcome the cold to help us freeze up the few remaining trouble areas on 49 south of 12 mile.
We haven’t received any new snow since the lake effect came to an end on Sunday morning. Not anything significant in the forecast this week as of right now.
Lower weekday traffic and no new snow means grooming will likely be slowed down. I know that the Pisten Bully is coming in for repairs since it’s a good time to do it. Nothing major and it’ll be back in the Raco and Bay Mills area in no time.
Everything should be pretty flat. Trail 8 sees the most traffic, and will likely see some choppy areas due to thin spots, but absolutely rideable. I’d call it fair to good.
For info on what has been groomed most recently, please subscribe to Groomer Tracker.
We have a board meeting tonight, and we’ll discuss getting the high school trail open, among other things. Members are welcome to attend. 6 pm at the Soo groomer barn, located at 1205 W 9th Street.
We just received further confirmation, this time from the U.S. Coast Guard, that the ice on the bay in Brimley is unsafe. They conducted training there today and broke through. Please stay off of the ice. Take trail 8. It’s groomed, and dry😉🥶
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. ... See MoreSee Less
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 ... See MoreSee Less
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 ... See MoreSee Less
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. ... See MoreSee Less
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... See MoreSee Less
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... See MoreSee Less
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🎄❄️❤️ ... See MoreSee Less
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! ... See MoreSee Less
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. ... See MoreSee Less