Because the overall warming trend of the Earth has decreased snow production for many locales, it's caused a headache for many counties across the United States as they've seen new and returning snowmobile registrations. From Maine to Utah, and Washington to Minnesota, across the country, snowmobiles aren't having the best of years.
We've covered the topic repeatedly, as not only does it signify a worrying trend that'll be a disaster for us as a species, but a lack of snow means we don't get to have the same snowmobile fun we've always done. It's also caused National and State parks to close trail maintenance, thereby decreasing public land use, and I'm sure regular RideApart readers are tired of hearing me bang that drum.
But there was a bright spot this year as, while not indicative of a cooling trend, Michigan saw snowmobile registrations actually increase thanks to some serious snowfall after years of middling at best precipitation. And that's a cause for celebration, as it shows folks still want to get out there and get after it!
Huzzah.
According to reporting done by Michigan Live, snowmobile permit sales didn't just rebound, but shot through the roof after the last two seasons being total trash. In fact, it rose a whopping 59.9% compared to last year for a total of 150,201 permits from the Department of Natural Resources.
"On a whole, snowmobile registration and trail permits have been on a relative plateau since 2013, with an average of 63,402 licenses, which are valid for three years," states the outlet, adding, "And an average of 130,996 annual trail permits. The DNR data shows how volatile the sport can be, with big spikes in 2014 − a polar vortex − to sharp declines in 2024 when emergency aid was allocated for snow businesses."
Last year's permits totalled near 90,000, with the year prior totalling just under 130,000. This year's, however, returns the permits to its average of 2020, 2021, and 2022 sales. And that's largely thanks to all of this year's snow.
"In Mancelona, where the National Weather Service office is, this winter’s cumulative snow tally clocked in at 228 inches. That was the heaviest snowfall the NWS observer had tallied in 13 years," the outlet states. And Michigan is still seeing snowfall into the springtime, which means there's more celebration to be had.
