Ontonagon Trail Report – 01/29
ONTONAGON AREA UPDATE via NORTH COUNTRY SNOWMOBILE CLUB – 01/29
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LAKE GOGEBIC AREA UPDATE via Gogebic Area Grooming >> Bergland Area Groomer's report for 1-15-26..
Everything in our system was covered this evening and yesterday we sent 2 machine's down 8e to get that back under control.
Everything seems to be in really good shape now, with the cold temps really locking the Trail's in tight.
Forecast call's for another 12" over the weekend and cold 🥶!! #lakegogebic #westernup #snowphotos
WEATHER UPDATE via Michigan Storm Chasers >> This is our last call snowfall outlook for FRIDAY ONLY, January 16th, 2026. Snow has begun across parts of the UP, and will begin for the rest of the state over the course of the next 12 hours.... #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskeyThis is our last call snowfall outlook for FRIDAY ONLY, January 16th, 2026. Snow has begun across parts of the UP, and will begin for the rest of the state over the course of the next 12 hours.
A clipper will bring a mixture of synoptic snow and lake effect snow for the entirety of Michigan. This is the first of multiple clippers between now and Monday. Lake effect areas may see totals into the 4-8" zone, with localized heavier totals possible along the Porcupine Mountains in the western UP. We DO have ample moisture on our atmospheric profiles for tomorrow, but the forcing is still suspect, so a solid blanket of 1-4" of snow, with isolated higher totals close to half a foot should occur by the end of our day Friday. The greatest chance at an area underachieving is in... guess what... southeast Michigan. Monroe and Lenawee counties specifically were in the T-1" zone at first call, but with a more-moist profile expected tomorrow, all locations (in an ideal world) should at least hit 1". We are also watching for the development of freezing drizzle mixing in, primarily in the Lower Peninsula as low-level temperatures favor this phenomena. Now, drizzle would hinder totals, but significantly increase travel issues as roads get coated with both the drizzle and the wet snow. We will have a freezing drizzle accumulation map out tomorrow morning.
Winds gusting 25-35 mph at times, primarily out of the west. Some snow squalls will mix in, which for those who don't remember, snow squalls exist to only cause headaches. These narrow bands of snow drop visibility from open skies to mere feet in the matter of seconds, which is never good, especially on fast-moving roadways. A snow squall can put down as much as a quick inch in 15-30 minutes at their peak intensity. Both morning and evening commutes will be impacted by snow or drizzle. Let's hope we don't light up the MDOT drive map with 25 accidents this time around, so please take your time. Give yourself that extra hour to travel, especially in instances of forced slow downs.
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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.
IRONWOOD - WESTERN U.P. UPDATE via Gogebic Range Trail Authority - ORV & Snowmobile Club >> Trailboss Carter reports near perfect trail conditions as of last night.
Currently light flurries falling and from the sounds of it a good amount is in store for the weekend!
The Yoop is calling and you must go!! 😉
Kami
GRTA Secretary #westernup #snowphotos
ONTONAGON AREA UPDATE via North Country Snowmobile Club UP >> Finally went for a ride today. Wanted to grab lunch so we rode from White Pine to The Pit Stop Bar & Grill. Trail #12 was fantastic! A big shout out to Wyatt!! After lunch went from Pat's Motorsports in Greenland and took Trail #13 to Trail #12 at Potato Farm Road back into White Pine. Thank you The U.P. Superior Snowmobile Club for a great ride on 13!!! #ontonagon #westernup #snowphotosFinally went for a ride today. Wanted to grab lunch so we rode from White Pine to The Pit Stop Bar & Grill. Trail #12 was fantastic! A big shout out to Wyatt!! After lunch went from Pat's Motorsports in Greenland and took Trail #13 to Trail #12 at Potato Farm Road back into White Pine. Thank you The U.P. Superior Snowmobile Club for a great ride on 13!!!
WATERSMEET - WESTERN U.P. UPDATE via U.P. Thunder Riders Snowmobile Club >> The base on our trails are fantastic! We will groom daily based on groomer availability and weather. Help our efforts by joining club-https://upthunderriders.org/ or
DONATE HERE-https://
www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/94DBZ6P59ULY2
All of these funds will help us continue to have the money to groom the full season! #westernup #snowphotosThe base on our trails are fantastic! We will groom daily based on groomer availability and weather. Help our efforts by joining club-https://upthunderriders.org/ or
DONATE HERE-https://
www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/94DBZ6P59ULY2
All of these funds will help us continue to have the money to groom the full season!
ONTONAGON AREA UPDATE via North Country Snowmobile Club UP >> Trail Report 1/15:
Wyatt and Pisten Bully 22 did some work last night.
Trail #12 from Greenland to White Pine was groomed and has some thin spots closer to Ontonagon and along LP Walsh Road.
Trail #101 is in good condition.
Trail #13 from Trail #101 to Victoria Road was groomed and is in good condition.
Tractor Mac went into the Porkies. Trail #1 from White Pine to Silver City is in fair condition, icey near Lake Superior. From Silver City to The Porkies Ski Hill is very thin with frozen bare spots. The final 6 miles to Lake of the Clouds is in very good condition.
Trail #11 (South Boundary Road) is in very good condition to Trail #102.
Be safe and ride the 906! #ontonagon #westernup #snowphotosTrail Report 1/15:
Wyatt and Pisten Bully 22 did some work last night.
Trail #12 from Greenland to White Pine was groomed and has some thin spots closer to Ontonagon and along LP Walsh Road.
Trail #101 is in good condition.
Trail #13 from Trail #101 to Victoria Road was groomed and is in good condition.
Tractor Mac went into the Porkies. Trail #1 from White Pine to Silver City is in fair condition, icey near Lake Superior. From Silver City to The Porkies Ski Hill is very thin with frozen bare spots. The final 6 miles to Lake of the Clouds is in very good condition.
Trail #11 (South Boundary Road) is in very good condition to Trail #102.
Be safe and ride the 906!
IRONWOOD - WESTERN U.P. UPDATE via Gogebic Range Trail Authority - ORV & Snowmobile Club >> Update: 1.14.2026
We have both tractors going out right now.
Trail 8 / Wakefield to Tula turnaround.
Trail 2 / Wakefield to Marenisco.
The guys will give me a report in the morning as to the trail conditions and will report back!
Ride safe, friends!
Kami
GRTA Secretary #westernupUpdate: 1.14.2026
We have both tractors going out right now.
Trail 8 / Wakefield to Tula turnaround.
Trail 2 / Wakefield to Marenisco.
The guys will give me a report in the morning as to the trail conditions and will report back!
Ride safe, friends!
Kami
GRTA Secretary
ONTONAGON AREA UPDATE via Hamilton's North Coast Adventures >> SO MANY GROOMERS GROOMING!
If you are not riding the western up of Michigan tomorrow, you may be doing it wrong! Green lines mean groomer runs as of TODAY. These clubs are killing it! Thank you groomers! #ontonagon #westernup #snowphotosSO MANY GROOMERS GROOMING!
If you are not riding the western up of Michigan tomorrow, you may be doing it wrong! Green lines mean groomer runs as of TODAY. These clubs are killing it! Thank you groomers!
BESSEMER - WESTERN U.P. UPDATE via Trails-North Powersports LLC >> 🥰 Old man Winter is back ❤️🌬️❄️ 1 to 3 inches turned into 4 to 6 🤟 more snow is predicted through the rest of the week and through the weekend, sooooo what are you waiting for 😊 get up here and ride 🤟🌬️❄️❄️❄️ #westernup #snowphotos
LAKE GOGEBIC AREA UPDATE via Bergland Outfitters Bait Shop & Motel >> We got about 5-6 inches over night. My guests say the trails are awesome thank you to our groomers.
Perch fishing remains dam good .
Lake travel is not bad at all we still recommend snowmobile travel only as we do have layers of slush of 5-6 inches of slush .
2026 HOG A THON March 14th sign up here at the shop
Have a great day #lakegogebic #westernup #snowphotosWe got about 5-6 inches over night. My guests say the trails are awesome thank you to our groomers.
Perch fishing remains dam good .
Lake travel is not bad at all we still recommend snowmobile travel only as we do have layers of slush of 5-6 inches of slush .
2026 HOG A THON March 14th sign up here at the shop
Have a great day
LAKE GOGEBIC AREA UPDATE via Gogebic Area Grooming >> Bergland Area Groomer's report for Tuesday evening 1-13-26..
A little sketchy out there!! When we left the shop around 8pm it was 35° with temp's quickly dropping below freezing. Then the snow and wind picked up which made for a long night. We covered 13n, 1n, 102 and 8w along with our access trail's. There's going to be a lot of drifting out there so use caution when riding. Enjoy!! Gogebic Area Grooming ❄️❄️❄️ #lakegogebic #westernup #snowphotos
SIDNAW - WESTERN U.P. UPDATE via Sno Valley Riders Snowmobile Club >> Groomer Report:
Trail Condition: Good
Last Groomed: January 12th, 2026
It was too warm and the snow was way too sticky to groom on Tuesday.
We will be out tonight to get things fixed up.
Please ride on the RIGHT side of the trail and STOP at the stop signs!
Stay on the trail, if you don’t we could lose trail permissions on private property.
Groomers have the right of way on the trails, pull over and stop to let them safely pass!
We now have Groomer Tracker installed in our groomers.
We groom every day that the weather conditions and equipment allow. Unforeseen circumstances may prevent us from going out, like a major blizzard and being snowed in at our homes or equipment breakdowns. #westernup
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.
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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
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Latest Trail Reports – Quick Links
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