Aroostook County received its earliest major December snowfall in three years during a storm that dumped more than half a foot of precipitation Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
Flakes started falling late Wednesday afternoon and totaled more than 8 inches in some parts of The County.
Snowstorms may not seem unusual in northern Maine, but major snowfall before the December holidays has been rare in recent years. Some may grumble at wielding shovels, but snow sports enthusiasts — and businesses — are rejoicing.
“Right now everybody is pretty excited,” Caribou Parks and Recreation Superintendent Gary Marquis said Thursday. “If we can get another five, six inches of snow, we’ll be in really good shape and they’ll be able to start opening up the [trail] system by Christmas week. We haven’t seen Christmas week snowmobiling in five or six years now.”
A good season couldn’t come at a better time for the state, which has seen its winter economy fall with warming weather trends. A January report from the University of Maine noted that snowmobiling’s economic contributions, which were about $710 million in “strong seasons,” fell by roughly 20% in 2023-2024 to $582 million, due mostly to minimal snow.
Last year was the second year in a row that northern Mainers grappled with a lack of snow. Finally, in February, enough precipitation arrived to make for decent snowpack on most of the region’s 2,300 miles of trails. But the season was short.
Those short seasons devastated County businesses that rely on snowmobiling. In 2024, some appealed to the state for financial help, which never came. Last year, the Long Lake Bar and Grill closed in January due to loss of business.
With recent cold temperatures and more in the forecast, the snow should stick around, Marquis said. That would be good for outdoors enthusiasts, but also for businesses such as hotels, snowmobile dealers and restaurants, who reap rewards when the winter economy heats up.
“It’s amazing what it does for the businesses,” he said. “Everybody involved in outdoor recreation is going to have a lot of Black Fridays, so to speak, if the trend continues.”
Manager Laurie Michaud of Fort Kent’s Northern Door Inn would welcome a change from the scant snow of the past two years.
“It would be totally amazing to have an early season,” Michaud said. “The last couple of years bombed out, and it bombed out even worse when the Can-Am was canceled.”
Fort Kent hosts the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races, which were shut down for the first time ever in 2024 because there wasn’t enough snow.
Some local clubs have started grooming trails, Michaud said. She added that she relays that information to eager callers who have already started asking, “Is there any snow yet?”
Regular customers include a large group of snowmobilers from Pennsylvania who take up almost the entire facility for a week, along with another big Massachusetts contingent, she said.
During a good year, the inn stays packed from the time the trails open until the season ends, Michaud said. In fact, three years ago, they had to keep turning people away.
“I’m hoping for a year like that this year,” she said.
Caribou, which recorded 8.5 inches of snow as of Thursday, likely set a snowfall record for Dec. 11. The record amount of 6.5 inches for that date was recorded in 1995, according to National Weather Service data.
Aroostook and parts of Penobscot County led the (snow) pack, with totals including 8.3 inches in Presque Isle, 8 in Westfield, 7.8 in Patten, 7.3 in Blaine, 7 in Mars Hill and Millinocket; 6.5 in Van Buren, 6 in Fort Kent, 5.8 in Houlton and 5.5 in Portage.
Elsewhere in Maine, snow amounts ranged from 5.5 inches in Sebec and Thomaston to 1.5 inches in Bangor, with less than a half-inch in southern areas.
With the half-foot and more in The County, several snowmobile club groomers are starting on the trails, Marquis said. No one can predict what’s going to happen, but there’s been steady cold, ice is forming well on the lakes and ski areas are opening soon, which all signal hope for a good season.
“We always gauge a good season if we can get snowmobiling opened before Christmas,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
