Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRON COUNTY, Wis., snowmobile Trail 15, near the Gile Flowage dikes in the town of Carey, has only scattered snow on Tuesday. The trails are closed following weekend melting. There was unsafe ice on the nearby flowage.
By RALPH ANSAMI
Temperatures that reached into the 50s across the Gogebic Range on Monday, combined with strong west and southerly winds, evaporated the little snow cover that remained.
The spring-like weather closed most area snowmobile trails. The warm temperatures had turned the trails into slush and mud over the weekend.
With no snow in the immediate forecast, trails were in very poor shape or closed on Tuesday.
The Hurley Area Chamber of Commerce said all Iron County snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle trails were closed effective Tuesday at noon. Gates along the trails were shut.
All Iron County ATV trails will remain closed until break-up conditions recede. The ATV trails will open on a trail-by-trail basis as it dries up and they are inspected for wash-outs, usually in May.
Vilas County, Wis., Parks and Recreation Administrator Dale Mayo said because of the rapidly deteriorating trail conditions and high winds, the snowmobile trail system there officially closed at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
Mayo said the high winds of Monday and Tuesday likely knocked trees across the trails that will need to be removed.
He said there was a "slim possibility" the snowmobile trails could open later this month. He noted the traditional closing date for the trails is March 31.
"It would take substantial snow and cold to deem trails safe to ride," Mayo said.
Scattered wind damage, numerous downed trees and power outages were reported throughout the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin, with roofs blowing off some buildings.
There was no snow on the ground at Ironwood's official weather station at the Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Treatment Plant off Cloverland Drive on Tuesday. Only 2.9 inches of snow has been recorded for March in Ironwood.
A total of .27 inch of rain fell for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Tuesday, accompanied by lightning.
Streams broke open again Monday after a short stretch of cooler weather last week had iced them over.
Cemetery roads closed
The Ironwood Riverside Cemetery was temporarily closed to vehicle traffic Tuesday because of soft road conditions. As the conditions improve, the barricades will be removed.
Pedestrians are allowed to walk in the cemetery, however.
