Snow Reports and Wednesday's Forecast:

Overall:

• The north shore of Lake Superior: 
  • 3-5" being reported near Giants Ridge
  • 3-6" near Spirit and Mont du Lac
  • 5-8" being reported near Lutsen
  • 5" report near Loch Lomond
• UP: 
  • Dusting to 2" being reported
• Central Wisconsin:
  • Dusting to 1.5" reported so far

Wednesday will be the race against warming temperatures, with temperatures already in the 30s near Spirit, Giants Ridge, the UP, and central Wisconsin. The snow began as light/fluffy snow Tuesday evening but I am worried things will warm up too soon and the snow will feel wet/thick by first chair for most locations on Wednesday.

With that said, there may be a small window for softer turns on Wednesday for resorts along the north shore of Lake Superior, with the highest amounts for Loch Lomond and Lutsen, although the snow is quickly changing to wet/thick this morning. Some fog and drizzle have moved into the Midwest this morning and may continue as warmer air continues to push north. Visibility is already reduced for portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin early Wednesday morning. 

HRRR forecast precipitation types Wednesday

Wednesday Night - Thursday:

Late Wednesday, another system moves into the southern half of the Midwest, bringing rain and some wet snow. There could even be a few rumbles of thunder in the south half of Wisconsin and Lower Michigan.

The rain is concerning as the resorts that remain open in southern Wisconsin and the south half of Lower Michigan are taking things on a day-by-day basis and this rain could hurt their chances of spinning the lifts later this week. 

The models have shifted the chance of some light snow further south with the best chance of seeing some wet/thick snow now will be for southern portions of the Midwest, with only minor accumulations expected. 

HRRR forecast precipitation types Wednesday PM to Thursday AM

Friday - Saturday:

On the heels of the system from Wednesday into Thursday comes another round expected Friday into Saturday, which is starting to look more interesting. The models have shifted the area most likely to see snow a little further north and west but also increased the odds of seeing snow. The most recent trends point to southern Wisconsin into the Traverse City region as the most likely to see snow.

However, there are some outlier solutions from some of the models that bring the snow even further west, which if true, could shift things more towards the UP and central Wisconsin resorts.  

I'll have more updates on this in Thursday's forecast, but as of now, Saturday could bring some fresh snow for the resorts still spinning the lifts! 

ECMWF and GFS ensemble odds of seeing snow Friday PM into Saturday

With Lutsen announcing a closing date of April 16th, it will be interesting to see who stays open last.

These lists are compiled from various sources and subject to change, but hopefully, this is a good starting point! 

Closing Sunday, March 26:

Afton Alps (bonus weekend announced!), Hyland Hills, Christie Mtn, Little Switz (bonus weekend announced!), Caberfae, Mount Kato, Ripley, Powder Ridge

Closing Saturday, April 1:

Big Powderhorn

Closing Sunday, April 2:

Nub's Nob, Snowriver (Jackson Creek), Giants Ridge, Porkies, Spirit Mtn (tentative)

Closing Saturday, April 8:

Mont du Lac (Retro Meltdown to celebrate the end of the season)

Closing Sunday, April 16:

Snowriver (Black River Basin), Lutsen

***By Geographic Region***

North Shore Lake Superior/Northeast Minnesota
Open: Giants Ridge, Spirit Mountain, Mont du Lac, Lutsen, Bearskin, Loch Lomond, Mount Baldy

Closed: Chester Bowl

UP/South Shore Lake Superior/Lake Effect Snow Belt
Open: Birkie, Whitecap, Powderhorn, Porkies, Snowriver, Ripley, Bohemia, Marquette Mtn, Ski Brule, Pine Mtn, Searchmont

Closed: ABR

Twin Cities Region
Open: Trollhaugen, Wild Mountain, Powder Ridge, Hyland Hills, Afton Alps, Buck Hill, Welch Village, Mount Kato,

Closed: Coffee Mill

Central Wisconsin
Open: Granite Peak, Paul Bunyan, Nordic Mtn, Christie

Southern Wisconsin Region
Open: Tyrol, Little Switz, Alpine Valley (WI)

Closed: Mt La Crosse, Cascade, Devil's Head, Wilmot, Mountain Top, Sundown (Iowa), Chestnut (Illinois), Sunburst

Northern Lower Michigan/Traverse City Region/Lake Effect Snow Belt
Open: Nub's Nob, Boyne Mtn, Shanty Crk, Crystal Mtn, Caberfae, Treetops

Closed: Boyne Highlands, Otsego

Southwest Lower Michigan/Grand Rapids Region/Kalamazoo Region/Lake Effect Snow Belt
Closed: Cannonsburg, Bittersweet, Timber Ridge, Swiss Valley

Southeast Lower Michigan/Eastern Michigan/Detroit Region
TBD: Mt Holly, Pine Knob, Alpine Valley (MI)

Closed: Mt Brighton