Grand Marais Trail Report – 12/12
GRAND MARAIS UPDATE via Grand Marais Sno-Trails Assoc. – 12/12
Last night Groomer Chad Groomed the South Trail (8, 88 & 443 all East of M77). He reported a good sized water hole located about a mile north of 88 on the 443. He also took care of a downed tree. Thanks Chad for the information and pictures.
Ride Safe & Ride Right.
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GRAND MARAIS UPDATE via Grand Marais Sno-Trails Assoc. – 12/11
GMSTA trail boss grooming update: I have had a lot of questions and inquiries on if we are grooming, when we will be grooming, and why we are not grooming, etc. Before I get into the scheduling I just want to give you all some insight to how we determine when and how much we groom.
Of course one of the biggest factors is weather. How much snow, temps, conditions, what snow quality etc. Just because it’s below 32 degrees doesn’t mean you groom. If the snow quality is poor, sugary not packy, then grooming that type of snow when the base is not set up does very little for the overall “condition” of the trail. You cannot get all the woops/moguls out and the sugary snow just blows back out of the trail as the snowmobiles go over it. If this is the scenario, and it is early in the week with very low traffic, this would be the time to take a day off.
The other big factor is the budget we have to groom for the entire season, Dec. 1st – Mar. 31st. One never knows how much snow we will get over the course of the snowmobile season, as proven last year. The season lasts 121 days, and we want to make sure there is enough budget to get us through the entire season. Budgeting is critical and plays a huge part in the decision of when not to groom. If the budget allowed, we would groom every day weather permitted.
The next consideration is traffic volume. Usually Tuesday -Thursday is the slowest part of the week for traffic. Those are the first days we consider to not groom, as there is the least amount of traffic. This coupled with weather, snow conditions, and budget all help to make the call to groom or not. High travel times, we strive to groom every day to give you the best trails possible.
We will be grooming this afternoon, starting with our East trail, trail 8, and our South trail, 443 & 88 from the park and ride on M77 east to 443. Then once they get back, we will head out on the West trail, 8, 89, 43/88 across Sunrise Landing to the south end of 888 and our North trail 8, from the split at 89, 888, and 88 all the way down to the park and ride on M77. The town route is usually done in coordination with the North run and or run as needed, as it is the single groomed trail route into the town of Grand Marais for food, gas, etc.
Our scheduled grooming times are the same every day with the North and West trails being done early mornings, departing the groomer barn approximately 2am, returning approximately 9am. The East and South trails departing the barn approximately 5pm returning approximately 1am.
Hopefully the snow that is in the forecast will come, and we will have the trails good and ready for a great sledding weekend. We want to thank everyone for your support, patience, and understanding. Thank you also for your comments and info from out on the trails. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Last but not least, I also highly recommend downloading the Groomer Tracker app and for $10.00 download the GMSTA trails so you can follow the groomers in “real time”. For $10.00 each, you can download the Curtis Area Trails, Seney Snowmobile Association, Tahquamenon Area Snowmobile Association, Chippewa Snow Chasers, and the Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association and see all the trails that are being groomed in the EUP! Other club trail systems are also available for purchase as well as other States. A percentage of the $10.00 goes directly to each club who’s trail system you download. This helps and we greatly appreciate it. Take a minute and check it out.
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Postings From Regional Pages On Facebook
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Lake effect snow showers are expected downwind of Lake Superior through Sunday, impacting the northwest wind snowbelt areas. This snow will be very susceptible to blowing in the wind, resulting in localized visibility reductions below 1 mile at times. Make sure to drive with your headlights on, at appropriate speeds, and with extra room between yourself and other vehicles! #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaLake effect snow showers are expected downwind of Lake Superior through Sunday, impacting the northwest wind snowbelt areas. This snow will be very susceptible to blowing in the wind, resulting in localized visibility reductions below 1 mile at times. Make sure to drive with your headlights on, at appropriate speeds, and with extra room between yourself and other vehicles! #906wx #miwx
NEWBERRY AREA UPDATE via TASA Tahquamenon Area Snowmobile Association >> I know you're all sleeping, but we're out here doing cool things for all of you. 😊
So ya, took off at 6 all cognetoie thinking I'd just focus and pay attention to the task at hand tonight but see we've been spotted, evidence from several places were out here, could be the lights, it is orange, dunno but it didn't work! 😂
Anyway, 4th season playing with one of these and I can tell you it's been a perfect storm 😁 of continuous snow, temps, and all of you working with us to leave the snow on the corners for us to squish, ( See how wide and Flat they're building up!!) I just turned south at Wolf Inn, if we get this 7" Carl Bonac says "anything close to the Soo" , that's us right? 😉 we could used it but is pretty awesome right now, no complaints here! Actually belive this keeps up, we will make the cover of Better Cabins & Trails this year 😎
Hope you get outta bed and come see what we did for you!
6AM Casey Kasim 1979 ! 🔊🎵 #newberry #snowphotos
NEWBERRY AREA UPDATE via Pine Stump >> The snow keeps getting better
Getting some riders I. And they can’t believe the low traffic. They say the trails are nice.. #newberry #snowphotos
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> A cold front will move across the U.P this evening. Light snow will accompany the front but generally less than an inch is expected. Behind the front temperatures will fall into the single digits above and below zero. This combined with gusty winds will bring wind chills down into the teens and twenties below zero. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for Gogebic and Iron counties tonight through Saturday morning. Lake effect snow will develop behind the front in the northwest wind snowbelts with several inches expected. Those headed outside tonight or traveling should be prepared for bitter cold and snow (in the northwest wind snowbelts). #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
NEWBERRY AREA UPDATE via Trails End Lodging >> TASA Tahquamenon Area Snowmobile Association getting it done! Heading off trail 498 into Windy Corners on Friday night! #newberry #snowphotos
SENEY AREA UPDATE via Seney Snowmobile Association >> Trails are really starting to look great and grooming up nice. These are from trail 43 on last nights groom. We are doing trail 431 tonight. Ride safe this weekend. #seney #newberry #snowphotos
GRAND MARAIS AREA UPDATE via Grand Marais Tavern >> Pics from the trails… what are you waiting for?!?! #grandmarais #newberry #snowphotos
NEWBERRY AREA UPDATE via TASA Tahquamenon Area Snowmobile Association >> So just a update on trails 9 is open and looking good 45 is open to county road 500 not open to the falls yet there is no-water holes open this season so far 🤞 south trail is groomed all the way down to epoufette and over to H40 that being said it’s thin from Rexton south #newberry #snowphotosSo just a update on trails 9 is open and looking good 45 is open to county road 500 not open to the falls yet there is no-water holes open this season so far 🤞 south trail is groomed all the way down to epoufette and over to H40 that being said it’s thin from Rexton south
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.
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
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Accumulating snow returns to the Northwoods later this afternoon into Saturday as a cold front swings across the area, ushering in a much colder air mass for the weekend. Several inches of snow is expected across parts of northwest lower and the eastern U.P. by Saturday morning with additional lake effect snow continuing through Saturday. Below zero wind chills are expected for most areas late tonight through Saturday. Wind gusts of 25-35+ mph will lead to patchy blowing/drifting snow, especially across open areas. Quickly dropping temps tonight may freeze wet roads by Saturday morning. Combination of snow, winds, and temperatures will lead to hazardous travel conditions across parts of the area through Saturday morning. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey #soo #newberryAccumulating snow returns to the Northwoods later this afternoon into Saturday as a cold front swings across the area, ushering in a much colder air mass for the weekend. Several inches of snow is expected across parts of northwest lower and the eastern U.P. by Saturday morning with additional lake effect snow continuing through Saturday. Below zero wind chills are expected for most areas late tonight through Saturday. Wind gusts of 25-35+ mph will lead to patchy blowing/drifting snow, especially across open areas. Quickly dropping temps tonight may freeze wet roads by Saturday morning. Combination of snow, winds, and temperatures will lead to hazardous travel conditions across parts of the area through Saturday morning.
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.
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.
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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.
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