Midwest Daily Snow

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By Croix Christenson, Meteorologist Posted 1 year ago March 23, 2023

Snow for Saturday?

Summary

A brief quiet stretch is expected for Thursday and Friday, before rain and snow return for Friday night into Saturday, with some soft turns possible. Sunday will be the last day for many resorts in the Midwest, with a relatively quiet day expected!

Short Term Forecast

***Next forecast will be published Friday early evening***

  • Pine Knob will be open Friday, March 24
  • Whitecap announced they will close March 26th
  • Alpine Valley (WI), Mt Holly, and Alpine Valley (MI) - Closed for the season

Thursday - Friday:

Wednesday night brought a dusting to a few inches of wet snow for southern Wisconsin but with no lifts spinning on Thursday in this area, it will be difficult to find some soft turns. Most of the rain and snow will push east of the Midwest by Thursday afternoon with a few lingering showers over the southern half of Lower Michigan.

I have not seen anything official from the resorts in southern Wisconsin and the few left open near Detroit, but hopefully, the mild conditions and rain have not altered their plans to spin the lifts late this week/into the weekend. The resorts near Detroit may see rain again on Saturday, so if they can spin the lifts on Friday that could be a great day to hit the slopes and perhaps the last. 

Thursday and Friday should bring soft conditions in the afternoon with temperatures above freezing along with some sunshine. The mornings could be firm and fast on the groomers and icy in the glades, especially over the northern portion of the Midwest where morning temperatures will start out below freezing. 

Friday Night - Saturday:

The models appear to have settled into a solution that continues to favor portions of Wisconsin, Lower Michigan, eastern UP, and east toward Searchmont. At this time it looks like snow totals will likely range from 2-8", however, this system does show signs of having some narrow, intense snow bands which could result in some higher totals. 

The snow quality will likely be wet/thick for most of the event as temperatures will be mild, making it difficult to see better-quality snow. 

Rain and snow arrive Friday night and last into Saturday, allowing for some softer turns for first chair on Saturday and some refills during the day. Here is a look at forecast precipitation types from the ECWMF & GFS for Saturday, which shows some key differences yet to be resolved:

The GFS is further south with the rain/snow line while the ECWMF is further north and west. If the ECMWF is correct, Granite Peak will see some snow with the rain/snow line splitting the Traverse City resorts, with some seeing mainly rain while others would see snow. The GFS is further south resulting in mainly snow for the Traverse City resorts and little to no snow for locations such as Granite Peak.

Typically what happens is both models end up being somewhat correct, while also incorrect, so I expect a blend of the two to end up being what occurs with some decent snow totals for the Traverse City resorts by Saturday PM. I think seeing mainly snow for the southern Wisconsin resorts left spinning the lifts late this week is a fairly safe bet with less confidence for Granite Peak as they could end up being too far north and west. 

With rain likely for the Detroit, Michigan resorts left trying to spin the lifts, this could signal the end of the season. Hopefully, they are able to open for Friday before rain arrives Friday night into Saturday! 

Sunday:

For Sunday I expect most of the Midwest to remain dry with highs in the 30s and 40s, making for spring conditions on the slopes. A few low 50s are possible in the southern portion of the Midwest which could really get the spring fever going on the slopes by afternoon.

This will be the closing day for many resorts which I list below and in the extended portion of the forecast! Please be sure to check ahead as these are subject to change based on conditions! 

Closing Sunday, March 26:

Afton Alps (bonus weekend announced!), Hyland Hills, Christie Mtn, Little Switz (bonus weekend announced per their website!), Caberfae, Mount Kato, Ripley, Powder Ridge, Tyrol Basin, Nordic Mtn, Wild Mtn

March 27 - April 2:

  • Cooler start to the week, warmer end to the week?
  • Monday-Tuesday a system clips the southern portion of the Midwest?
  • Weak system for mid-week?
  • Stronger system with rain/snow Friday into Saturday? 
    • For 10 days away, there's decent agreement among the models and it's worth monitoring 

Extended Forecast

New Closing Dates Announced/Added:

Tyrol - March 26, Trollhaugen - April 1, Pine Mtn - April 2, Nordic Mtn - March 26, Wild Mtn - March 26

***Compiled from various sources and subject to change, strongly recommend calling ahead***

Closing Sunday, March 26:

Afton Alps (bonus weekend announced!), Hyland Hills, Christie Mtn, Little Switz (bonus weekend announced per their website!), Caberfae, Mount Kato, Ripley, Powder Ridge, Tyrol Basin, Nordic Mtn, Wild Mtn

Closing Saturday, April 1:

Big Powderhorn, Trollhaugen

Closing Sunday, April 2:

Nub's Nob, Snowriver (Jackson Creek), Giants Ridge, Porkies, Spirit Mtn (tentative), Pine Mtn, Marquette 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 (TBD, likely open into April), Loch Lomond (TBD, likely weekends only in April), 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

Announcements

Road Conditions:

About Our Forecaster

Croix Christenson

Meteorologist

Croix grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he developed his passion for the outdoors and snow. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his BS and MS in Atmospheric Science. When not working, you will find Croix exploring his Duluth, Minnesota backyard by skiing, mountain biking, fishing, surfing, hiking with his dog Doppler, or just about any activity that gets him outside.

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