Yearning For Snow? Head To Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Originally posted on SNOWBOARDER | By Josh Sullivan | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 1:08 PM ET

Ski areas in the Pacific Northwest and California were hurting for snow throughout November and December. Maybe locals should head to Michigan.

The Keweenaw Peninsula has already received nearly 120” of snow this winter. The home to the legendary resort Mount Bohemia, which boasts of its lack of beginner terrain on its website, is asking the public to guess how much more snow Keweenaw will receive before the season’s end.

“The Keweenaw is living up to its reputation as a premier winter destination right now,” said Visit Keweenaw Executive Director Brad Barnett. “We are currently tracking more than 20 inches ahead of where we were this time last year, and the conditions out on the trails are simply incredible. If you are looking for deep, fresh powder, this is the time to Adventure North!”

Visitors who can guess closest to the year-end snow total without going over will win exclusive Visit Keweenaw swag. Here are the contest rules:

Entries must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 19, 2026, using the official contest entry form.
Guesses must be submitted in inches, up to two decimal places.
The winning guess will be determined using official snowfall totals reported by the Keweenaw County Road Commission.
The contest concludes on April 30, 2026, or on the date the Keweenaw County Road Commission stops reporting snowfall for the 2025–2026 season, whichever comes first. Contest closure date is at the discretion of Visit Keweenaw.
Snowfall events occurring after the contest determination date will not be included in the final or official county snowfall total.
In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the earliest submission timestamp.
Winners will be notified by email or phone. If a winner cannot be reached within three business days, the prize will be awarded to the next closest eligible guess.

The contest entry form can be found here.

Aside from Bohemia, Keweenaw is home to Mont Ripley Ski Area and Voodoo Mountain, which have 440’ and 700’ of vertical drop, respectively. Voodoo offers cat riding, and typically sees about 300” of snowfall each winter. It is the first commercial cat skiing and riding operation east of the Rockies.

If you venture out to Michigan, though, you must check out Mount Bohemia. It’s been recognized as one of the best destinations by USA Today, largely thanks to its triple black runs and backcountry glades.

Downtown Houghton is also home to Jibba Jabba, a rail jam started in 2010 and revived in 2022 with support from Red Bull. Jayva Johnson and Nate Bujarski won last year’s contest.

This article first appeared on SNOWBOARDER and was syndicated with permission.

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