The Official Michigan Winter Thread

[ankkassa]

IT SNOWED TODAY!!!!!(sadly it didnt stick but more importantly it snowed)

[david_z]

It snowed a bit up north with some accumulation. Nubs, Cab, Boyne were blowing yesterday... their webcams do not look very good right now, but as long as overnight temps stay cold enough, long enough, and we don't get too warm or wet during the day...

The weather this week at Caberfae looks f'ing perfect until Saturday (of course!) overnight lows around 20F all week long, and daytime temps barely cracking 32, as long as it's not raining I'd expect to see them open on Saturday, possibly Friday, if this weather holds. Unfortunately at this point they're saying rain is possible on Saturday and Sunday.

Petoskey Nub's/Boyne Highlands area looks similar only they got 4" of snow in the forecast, too. But they're also calling for possible rain on Saturday/Sunday.



We're close...

[chomps1211]

Hey Guy's,

I was wondering what the "usual" opening's were for the local hills here in SE MI? I'm talking about Pine Knob, Mt. Holly, Alpine etc. (...I know it's wildly variable & weather dependent, just looking for the usual "average" dates.)

Since this is only my second year and many of you folks have been hitting these hills for years I was just trying to figure out when I might expect to b able to strap in and ride without having to hit the road & drive half a day or better to do so.

Thnx.

(...3"-6" forecast for lake effect in the Traverse Bay area? Still hoping for some luck for my desired BDay trip to Boyne!!)

[131441]

well it looks like its going to be cold enough at night to blow, but they are saying back up into the 40's maybe 50's after that. Im thinking that alpine and brighton may not even be ready until the 3rd week of december if we are lucky.

Plus it looks like up north may have some rain coming in a week. If that moves or sweeps south that will delay alpine and brighton from starting up the snow machines (very expensive to make snow).

[MikeIn248]

Originally Posted by chomps1211

I was wondering what the "usual" opening's were for the local hills here in SE MI? I'm talking about Pine Knob, Mt. Holly, Alpine etc. (...I know it's wildly variable & weather dependent, just looking for the usual "average" dates.)

Right now (or maybe next weekend).

I almost always go out of town for Thanksgiving, and I make sure to come home on Saturday in case Mt. Holly is open on Sunday. This year I still came home last night but I didn’t even put my roof racks or snow tires on ahead of the trip, knowing local places wouldn’t be open. (Don’t want to take a hit on gas mileage for Thanksgiving travel if there’s no riding on Sunday when I get back.)

Unlike the advice a few posts up, I do keep track of my snowboarding expenses. I do it for budget and planning purposes. I’ve never added it up, though. (I see some trips with missing gas expenses. And I haven’t kept track of equipment.)

So anyhow, looking things up, here are the earliest dates I've ridden locally the past few seasons. Keep in mind that these are my earliest dates. (If something was open before my first day out, I don’t have that info. I just keep track of when I go out.)

Keep in mind too that Mt. Holly will open with just a fraction of the hill (Woodward, Canyon, beginners' tow, and small park on Snowstream).

2011 -- December 10, Mt. Holly
2010 -- November 28, Mt. Holly
2008 -- November 23, Mt. Holly
2007 -- November 25, Mt. Holly
2006 -- December 5, Mt. Holly
2005 -- December 1, Alpine Valley

Also keep in mind that Thanksgiving was “early” this year because November 1st fell on a Thursday. So like I said up top, right now or maybe next weekend is typical, at least over the the past handful of years.

[david_z]

Originally Posted by chomps1211

Hey Guy's,

I was wondering what the "usual" opening's were for the local hills here in SE MI? I'm talking about Pine Knob, Mt. Holly, Alpine etc. (...I know it's wildly variable & weather dependent, just looking for the usual "average" dates.)

First or second weekend of December is pretty average I think. We get the occasional Thanksgiving opener (but remember this year Thanksgiving came really early) and although I don't remember a specific year I'm sure there are times when they don't open until nearly Christmas, but those are extremes.

[david_z]

Forecast up north right now is good -- 5" in Petoskey (Nub's, Highlands) and temps plenty cold to blow for extended durations -- although there's that pesky chance of rain this weekend which might delay an opener in that side of the state. Highlands is boasting 37 consecutive hours of snomaking right now on top of the natural stuff.

I'd say coin-flip odds that Nubs or Highlands opening limited runs all depends on what they can make and on the rain.

Right now, Caberfae has no rain in the forecast and prime snowmaking weather they've got the best odds to open this weekend, IMO.

Cannonsburg in GR doesn't have any rain in the forecast although it's still going to warm up late in the week, they've got potentially only 3 real nights of snowmaking Mon-Wed and with the warm weekend it leads me to believe that even if they can lay down some base they won't be opening this week.

The weekend down around Alpine/MTH/PK/Brighton looks bunk, warm and possible rain a few days next week so I don't have my fingers crossed for a Mt Holly opener on Saturday but after that the long-term for December looks cold or average cold so after this week hopefully we're in the clear.

Or you could always drive 9 hours to Ski Brule, they've been open for 2 weeks.


TL;DR -

Best bet for this weekend is Caberfae, Highlands, Nubs in that order with a maybe 20% shot at Cannonsburg.

[Gdog42]

Hey! It's great to find a thread just for Michigan, which is where I mostly ride.
I've been hoping that Bittersweet will be able to open soon, but looking at the "beautiful warm sunshine today", as the stupid weatherman put it, I don't think that's likely to happen any time soon.

Oh well, I suppose it doesn't really matter...
After all, I've only been anticipating snowboarding again since AUGUST! And a lot of people have been saying that this winter is going to be really rough. Thankfully I saw the first sign of very, very light snow this season yesterday, when it was below freezing all day. A woman at work was complaining about it. I said it's good, winter is awesome, and she just gave me the most serious look I've ever seen and told me "you're crazy."

I got a feeling she might be one of those Florida people (who go to spent the winter in Florida)

[david_z]

Originally Posted by Gdog42

Hey! It's great to find a thread just for Michigan, which is where I mostly ride.

Cheers & welcome to the MI thread, it's actually one of the more active threads on SBF, although I think most of the activity is from Southeast MI, there are probably a few people from the West side, too.

A few of us are planning a meetup at Cannonsburg when they have the Airbag event in mid-January.

We try to coordinate (informally) like by posting that you'll be riding at such-and-such mountain tomorrow at 10am or whatever, but we'll probably have another more formal meetup "event" later in the season, too.

[Gdog42]

Originally Posted by david_z

Cheers & welcome to the MI thread, it's actually one of the more active threads on SBF, although I think most of the activity is from Southeast MI, there are probably a few people from the West side, too.

A few of us are planning a meetup at Cannonsburg when they have the Airbag event in mid-January.

We try to coordinate (informally) like by posting that you'll be riding at such-and-such mountain tomorrow at 10am or whatever, but we'll probably have another more formal meetup "event" later in the season, too.

Sounds like fun! But it would take me over 2 hours and 47 minutes to be there from where I am now though...
I'll consider it.