Grooming Update

Amen Trail groomed January 6th; Sugar Hills January 10th; Alder Pond January 12th; Cowhorn and River Road the 14th. The lights are not working at MPL trail. The snow conditions have been good for skiing, enjoy!

Warmer weather (thaws) this week, RAIN next week

Daytime temperatures will start to climb above freezing this week, particularly on Wednesday (13th) and perhaps again this weekend (Jan. 16-17).

Next week will likely be even warmer with both daytime highs and nighttime lows above freezing before the end of next week. We will also have a good chance of rain or drizzle during this time. Weather is usually pretty tough to predict that far ahead, but the signals are very strong this time. If the weather turns out as predicted, we will probably lose most of our snowcover, which means any outdoor recreation based on natural snow will come to an end. Therefore, it would be a good idea to try to do those things (skiing, snowmobiling, etc.) this week.

January Thaw Next Week

The Arctic weather we've been having will depart the area this weekend (Jan 9-10). We should be seeing an extended period (at least a week) of mild weather with high temperatures occasionally reaching above freezing. No significant snow is in the forecast for the foreseeable future.

Ski Conditions - New Year's Day 2010

Most trails in Itasca County have been groomed this week, except Thistledew. Scenic State Park and McCarthy Beach State Park trails were groomed and ICC trails were packed.

Quiet and Cold Weather

Our midwinter quiet stretch has begun. The Upper Midwest will be under the influence of high pressure for the next 10 days or more. Temperatures will fluctuate but be mostly below average for this time of year.

XC SKI TRAIL GROOMING REPORT - Sunday, December 27th

We're grateful for the big snow but with the high moisture it makes grooming challenging. The volunteer groomers are giving it their best shot so here's the tentative grooming report:

Sugar Hills and Blueberry Hills packed and tracked December 26. The parking lot at Blueberry is plowed but more than likely the other lots have not been plowed.
Joyce Estate and Trout Lake to be packed and tracked today.
Legion Hills to be packed and tracked tonight.
Cowhorn and River Road trails are scheduled to be packed tomorrow, Monday.
Forest History Center parking lot was not plowed so no grooming could be done.

NOTE: Blueberry Hills closed Tuesday, the 29th for High School Race.

Boomer the Groomer

Snow Hole

11:30 PM December 24.

The shadow effect of the North Shore ridge will be felt in Grand Rapids, Warba, and points northeastward toward Ely. As the air flows northwestward up the hill in Duluth, the moisture is rapidly wrung out of the air. This leaves less moisture available for places 30 - 80 miles northwest of the North Shore. Additionally, there is an area of sinking motion downstream from the ridge, which further dries the air and prevents precipitation. These effects may substantially reduce total snowfall in Grand Rapids, Ely, Warba, and areas along and just southeast of the Iron Range. It would not surprise me if total snowfall was as little as 3 or 4" in Grand Rapids.

Well see...