<>Current Conditions and forecasts
This page will be updated occasionally, most frequently when conditions are changing. Its intent is to aid in trip planning.
Date of report: March 2, 2010
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Phenology Phenology is the study of
periodic natural events related to
climate, such as blooming of plants, migration of birds, etc.
The ground is snow-covered everywhere, and plants and many animals are dormant. On warmer days we may soon start seeing occasional chipmunks and bear tracks. This has not been a year of bird irruptions; there have been only scattered report of winter visitors such as pine grosbeaks, snow buntings, and various northern hawks and owls. Watch the sky for northward-migrating rough-legged hawks. With less than average snow depth, deer can be found almost everywhere except in high country in favored snowbelts. Inland lakes and beaver ponds are well-frozen, but most of Lake Superior is ice-free. River crossings are iffy since this winter has been warmer than average, and no cold weather is expected soon. |
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| Road Conditions Roads typically plowed in winter
are plowed; most gravel roads are not. Occasionally you may find
normally-unplowed roads plowed due to winter logging operations; use extreme caution if attempting to
access trailheads on such roads, as logging truck drivers will not be
expecting you!
With the arrival of early spring, such logging is likely to cease until the woods dries up later in spring and haul restrictions are lifted on public roads. See maps of various trail segments for information on which roads are normally plowed in winter. Note that even though a road is plowed, there may be no safe place to park on the roadside, and there are few plowed-out locations to park near trailheads. When spring arrives, the snowbanks will melt back, but many road shoulders and developed parking areas will become very soft; check on foot before driving there to park! |