Ski enthusiasts who have been forlornly looking out the window at a warm fall are perking up this week as a winter storm slams into Michigan, bringing plenty of fresh powder to northern areas to get the season underway.
Several Michigan ski resorts are ready to open as a Thanksgiving week blizzard promises to dump as much as 3 feet of snow on some of Michigan’s best-loved ski areas in the Upper Peninsula.
At least two Upper Peninsula ski resorts are set to open during the Thanksgiving weekend, and others across northern Michigan could open soon.
Here’s what to know about Michigan’s ski areas.
How much snow will Michigan get this week?
Michigan is facing a winter storm this Thanksgiving week that could bring 2-3 feet or more of snow to areas in the western UP by Nov. 28, according to the NWS.
Forecasters expect light snowfall, less than 5 inches in southern and mid-Michigan, and moderate snowfall in northern Michigan, including up to a foot in Gaylord (possibly as high as 19 inches) by the morning of Nov. 28, according to the weather agency.
One early Nov. 26 observation from Giles, Wisconsin, just west of Ironwood in the UP, said 6 inches had fallen since Nov. 25. Several large Michigan ski resorts operate just outside of Ironwood, Bessemer and Wakefield.
Where to ski in the UP Thanksgiving weekend?
Check out Thanksgiving weekend skiing at these UP resorts, areas:
What’s opening soon in the UP?
These UP ski areas and resorts will be opening soon for their winter seasons:
What’s opening soon in northern Michigan?
These northern Michigan ski resorts and areas plan to open soon for the 2025 winter season:
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan ski resorts welcome heavy snow. When they’re opening
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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