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Some Weather History

04:00 AM - December 22, 2020

Tuesday, Dec 22nd, Club #1

      What is everyone talking about these day in regards to snowmobiling. Yes it is the weather and when are the maritime borders opening.

We with the weather and snow conditions I can throw a little light on that, so I can fill you in on some weather history. In the last 4 to 6 years we became a bit spoiled with good snowfall (in the north) with up to sometimes up to three feet of snow. This year is not bad, but also not great. Going forward we are not seeing much snow and January has never been a great month for snow. It looks a bit soft towards Christmas but some colder weather following. In some earlier years we barely had enough snow where grooming into Bathurst wasn't feasible. We just have to let the weather take its course and the clubs will do the rest.

      On the Covid situation with the borders closed, now there is something out of our control. I've got numerous emails wondering what we (the club) can do about this. I, we don't have the answers to this so I'm telling those to contact the NBFSC (Google their website)and not a local club. Thanks for tuning in to our trail report.

      Below is some weather history if you care to read it.

Year 19-20

    Pre Dec 15 Up to 3 feet of good snow Lodge to Serpentine. Plenty of sledding.

     Then Lost over 2 ½ feet two weekends Dec 7 an Dec 13 with

     extremely mild weather

      Dec 27 Got about 40 cm back in the high ground

      Opened trail to Bathurst, but minimal snow

      Jan 11 & 12: 15 mm of rain followed by 30 cm of snow. Trails awesome after

      Feb 7 40 CM of good snow. Trails excellent until 28 warm weather

     Feb 28 30 CM of much needed snow and good through end of April

Year 18-19

    Great snow from Oct to Dec 15. Sleds moving in the highlands

    First time ever that we had groomers out prior to Dec 15th prepping trails

    Dec 15. All groomers on the move

    Dec 15 through March 1 phenomenal snow with up to 6ft

        + perfect trails for the most part with no major disruptions

    Mar 1 to Apr1, not much snow, about 30 cm in all but great sledding

    Apr 1 to 15 Still great sledding 4th Groomed all trails Bathurst to Serp

Year 17-18

     Dec 10 to Dec 15, Received up to 40 Cm by then

     Dec 14 Floated #2 to Rogers Lake close to 45 Cm above the lodge

     Dec 17 By them 75% of system groomed including to Bathurst Trails 7 out of 10

     Dec 23 & 25 Received another 40 Cm and we were V Good to go

     Jan 4/5 Another 62 cm Drifts as high as 8 feet

     Jan 12 35 mils of rain & 5 cms of snow Trails still good.

     Jan 15 to Feb 15 Lots of snow with some rain mix. Trails awesome

     Mar 8th to the 15th three Nor’easters with a total of 90 cm but very warm temps,

     Mar 31st up to 4 feet of base and trails excellent, Not much grooming mild.

     Apr 4th Noreaster with 30 cm of snow

Year 16-17

     Dec 3rd 15 to 50 cm of snow down from Bathurst to Serpentine

     Dec 14 Floated #2 to Nepisiguit close to 3 feet at lodge

     Dec 15 Groomed Nep Lod to Serpentine

     Jan 10th Excellent conditions 3 to 4 feet of snow, great base

     Jan 11 to 13 a little melt, but no damage, other than icy bed.

     Jan 13 to Jan 31 trails in excellent condition. Ice storm of 2017 didn’t affect us.

     Feb 1st to Feb 23 trails very good. A little wet spell for two days, nothing major

     Mar 15th excellent trails everywhere in the north 12” of wet snow put a big damper

               on conditions

     Mar 28 more snow 3 to 4 cm trails still good from Bathurst to Serpentine

     Apr 3 Last day of any significant grooming. Conditions bad to good to great.

Year 15-16

     Not a drop of snow before the 15th. 50 cm on the 15th and 16th Nothing frozen

      Between Bathurst and the lodge. Still very mild.

     Dec 18th Floated the #1 to Rogers Lake and started grooming

      from there to Serpentine. No significant freeze throughout province.

     Dec 22nd Patching Trail from Bathurst to Nine Mile East. Good from Lodge out.

     Dec 30th Trails still closed from Bathurst to Lodge.

     Jan 5th Trail open to the Lodge from the Host, Beaver pond from East an issue.

     Jan 10/11 30 mm of rain followed by a deep freeze. Ice conditions

      Jan through to Feb Trails very good hard & fast

      Feb through to March Rain & snow, but no trails closed, Some ice in late Feb but doable

Year 14-15

Up to 3 feet of snow, but very wet underneath. Lots of holes and water cuts

      Dec 15: Started prepping the trails and lots of traffic.

      Dec 25: 25 MM of rain , but still going, Need big time freezing.

       still great sledding through the north

      Jan 26 to 30 Rc’d about 60 cm of snow

      February: Trails in phenomenal shape

      March 31: All trails stiil great with no severe melt downs yet

      April 7: Trails great, no issues. 2 to 3 feet of trail bed

Year 13-14

      Dec 15: Started packing & grooming

      Dec 21: Lodge opened. Earliest on record. All trails groomed. Lots of snow

      Jan 12: 40 mm rain; 2nd rainfall in a week

      Jan 17: Some water cuts here and there, but al trails very doable. Lube??

      Jan 20: All trails good to excellent after some trail repair here & there

      Lots of snow from now until end of season Stopped grooming Apr 10

      after some rain, but trails good to excellent. Some sledding into may

      Best season on record. Over 2000 hours groomed.

Year 12-13

      Dec 28: Started grooming right from Bathurst,

            Conditions From Bathurst to the Lodge were doable.

             Grooming all trails above Lodge.

      Dec 27 8 to 10 inches conditions much improved. As time

             progressed towards Jan 12 snow gradually wore out

             between Bathurst and the Lodge where conditions just

             became doable in that stretch

       Jan 13 /14 Mild spell 4 to 11 deg forced to call Everything

           closed from the City, doable from Lodge out to shelter

       Jan 22 Reopened the trails after 10 to 15 cm Still scratchy

       Jan 31 All Trails closed in NB due to rain & meltdown

       Feb 3-4 10 cm snow open from lodge west but icy no grooming

       Feb 9 Major storm to the south 15 cm in Bathurst

       Feb 17 & 20 Two majors in a row total close to 95 cm Back

           in Business

       Mar 29 All Trails from the city closed. Still grooming Lodge

               going West

       April 8. Last grooming. Trails fair to poor on what is left