Cold creates lake effect snow and thriving tourism

HURLEY, Wis. (WIMI) – When the snow flies, money flies. After several lean winters that dented snowmobile tourism, riders are returning to the Northwoods, where deep snow still defines the season.

Hurley, located in Iron County on Wisconsin’s northern border, is the snow capital of the state, with some of the highest snowfall totals in Wisconsin. Hurley’s long-term average snowfall ranges from roughly 155 to 200 inches, or about 13-16 ft, per season.

In the 1990s, snowfall reached a record 294.5 inches, or more than 24 feet, in a single season.

“I think today’s snow is minuscule from what I had growing up,” says Presque Isle resident Zach Lorentz, a statement echoed up north recently as winters are warming.

“Snow’s been hit or miss. Accumulations that we think that we have nowadays are record setting… are normal, and that’s the sad thing about it all,” Lorentz adds.

Unusually warm spells are changing conditions for cold-weather sports and tourism. A 2024 study from researchers at UW–Stevens Point found climate change is making Wisconsin winters more volatile, with shorter seasons, frequent freeze-thaw cycles, and less consistent snowfall. All factors impact snow-dependent industries.

“It’s boring, we are fighting for money,” says Chelsea, a bartender at the Iron Horse Saloon in Hurley.

She says slow winters nearly forced her out of the business a few years ago, when insufficient snowfall kept snowmobile trails closed.

Only 75.5 inches of snow fell two seasons ago, and repeated winter warm-ups quickly melted what little did fall, exposing rocks and dirt on the trails.

This winter, though, it’s a a La Niña winter pattern across the Upper Midwest, shifting the jet stream and weather patterns to wetter conditions.

“Compared to 2 years ago, I mean, we got snow this year but we only got like 3 snow storms,” says Bob, a local beer distributor in Hurley.

He says sales starkly dropped in the 2023-2024 season and says things are just different these days. 

“Pay attention to which way the wind is going,” Bob adds. It’s a key component to forecasting where the snow will accumulate, as the lake effect snow machine roars this year.

“When the snow hits, this place comes alive,” says Chelsea.

Cold snaps create a magical wall of snowfall, as the cold air blows across the unfrozen waters of Lake Superior. As the air rises over the Porcupine Mountains, it increases in intensity. So far this season, more than 105 inches of snow have fallen.

“Business is ten-fold, ten times what we get with no snow, that’s for sure,” says Chelsea.

Snowmobile trails opened December 9, jump-starting the winter economy that Northwoods communities rely on.

“This is a room full of people I don’t know except for 3 people. We have people from Alaska that come in, from Iowa, from Chicago, from Montana, everywhere,” said Chelsea.

Even without heavy snow storms hitting Wisconsin, just the cold, windy days and warm waters create a winter wonderland this community depends on.