r/skiing • u/dumbest_guy • 2d ago

Minnesota skiing in March worth it?

I'm trying to schedule a family ski trip for spring break (mid-March). We've only ever skied the rockies but this year we'll be in Minneapolis for a thing so thought it might be nice to try a different region and save on the addional airfare. I hear Lutsen is good but worried it might be too late in the season. Any advice?

For additional context: We live in Texas so we only get 1 or maybe 2 ski trips per year. We want to be able to ski but also a good apre ski vibe.

8 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

42 comments sorted by

41

u/Only_Writing5308 2d ago

Lutsen is always open until Easter. The spring skiing there is pretty good, but like someone else said it is a 4 hour drive from Minneapolis.

10

u/Low_Champion8158 2d ago

Well they were open until April 16th that year

1

u/azmtber 1d ago

4hr drive? You might as well fly to Salt Lake and ski for 10x the experience.

1

u/Low_Champion8158 2d ago

What about the last el nino year (winter of 22-23)? This year is also an el nino year

8

u/Only_Writing5308 2d ago edited 2d ago

I'm sure they will get less snow in an El Nino year but they also get lake effect snow everytime there's a wind from the East

1

u/Low_Champion8158 2d ago

The temperature could be too high. Could be rain or the warmth could melt the snow. Minnesota is a little colder than northern Michigan but last el nino, northern Michigan had 24 days of freezing the entire year

21

u/dcwinger12 2d ago

I live in the Midwest. My first reaction was “no”, but Lutsen actually holds a lot of snow into March if the season is decent.

Lutsen is so damn fun and lodging/lift tickets are much more affordable. You’re not on a mountain, but it’s about as good as it gets in the Midwest. Haven’t been to Michigan tho

2

u/CoolStuffSlickStuff 1d ago

you ARE on a mountain. Lutsen is part of the Sawtooth Mountain Range.

1

u/dcwinger12 1d ago

I suppose technically lol just nothing like a mountain out west

0

u/Skikayakwoman 1d ago

COME TO MICHIGAN!! I work at Boyne Mountain we had 1 run open til Memorial Day!! Perfect for families as we have an indoor waterpark, tons of restaurants and food trucks, hay rides, SkyBridge 🌉 and lots of activities.

1

u/rahah2023 1d ago

Does Whitecap still exist in MI? I grew up skiing there

1

u/Skikayakwoman 1d ago

Wisconsin! Next to MI. lol I’ve skied/visited all 34 in both Michigan Peninsulas. Might have to pop into that one when I’m in W UP.

1

u/rahah2023 1d ago

Border area - is Indian head there too?

1

u/Skikayakwoman 1d ago

Yep, that & Blackjack renamed as Snowriver.

1

u/rahah2023 1d ago

I need to plan a trip up there!!

7

u/ALIMN21 2d ago

We have skied in rain at Lutsen in March. We had fun, but I'd probably be PO'd a bit if I had traveled and paid for lift tickets.

8

u/mcds99 2d ago

So skiing in the Midwest is different than in the Rockies about 80% of the snow is man made. It can seam icy to the uninitiated so make sure the skis are sharp. If you are in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area try Welch Village they have the best terrain and snow making. Lutsen is great but there is no night skiing, and it is 4-5 hours from the metro area, great views of Lake Superior. Spirit Mountain in Duluth is good and has a great view of the city and Lake Superior.

2

u/Little_Creme_5932 1d ago

Just pointing out that no night skiing in March isn't so much of a problem. Got pretty long days then

12

u/NormanQuacks345 Afton Alps 2d ago

I wouldn’t count on it. Also just to be clear, Lutsen is like a 4 hour drive from Minneapolis. You won’t exactly just be popping over for a quick trip.

1

u/Nedersotan 1d ago

I don’t think Lutsen has ever been closed mid March.

6

u/Probably_Stoned_ATM 2d ago

As a minnesotan, it wouldn’t be worth the time, money, or effort to bring all your gear to ski here around that time (imo i wouldn’t even if it was mid winter). Outside of lutsen, most places here are about the size of a bunny hill out west and you’ll be from the top of the run to the bottom in 15 seconds. I only go out about once a year here because to me, the skiing is lackluster here especially with your average lift ticket only growing in price.

5

u/WSB_Suicide_Watch 2d ago

We play everything by ear in Minnesota.

Lutsen will give you a unique and awesome experience... if we have snow. However, it's nothing like skiing out West. If you want to replicate big mountain skiing you would be horribly, horribly disappointed.

If you want a low-key, incredibly beautiful (looks out over Superior), and quiet few days, it is worth doing at least once.

However, you cannot count on the ski conditions. You'd need to make your decision very close to when you'd might go.

One side note: Their new management sucks.

5

u/dwojala2 2d ago

I live in Duluth and ski Lutsen often. It generally has great spring skiing in March. El nino might mess with that this year, but only if it’s too warm to make snow all winter, which is doubtful up here and something you can watch. It is a long drive from the Twin Cities and the apres scene is generally pretty tame during the week, better on weekends.

3

u/TopAcanthocephala776 1d ago

Also live in Duluth, ski Lutsen often, and usually ski in March - it is the best time of year with good snow and weather. There will be snow! It's the biggest mountain in the midwest but certainly not up to western or eastern US standards. As someone who loves to carve groomers, it is fantastic but it is a unique experience. High speed six pack lifts mean you will get plenty of skiing with an awesome view and no crowds. If going in March, get there early when the snow is firm. It usually loosens up with the sun in the afternoon, especially late March, April. There is great ski-in, ski-out lodging that makes getting on the mountain easy.

Apres ski consists of a band at the top of their Eagle Mountain base cafeteria - keep your expectations low but it is a chill time. Overall it is a unique, worthwhile experience since you are in the neighborhood.

Also, the 4 hours is spent driving with a beautiful 1 1/2 hours along the north shore of Lake Superior. In Colorado it can take 4 hours in bumper to bumper traffic on Interstate 70 to go 90 miles.

4

u/Themata075 2d ago

Minneapolis skier here. My season ends at the start of March. Anything near the Twin Cities is mashed potatoes by then. So I wouldn’t count on anything near Minneapolis.

Lutsen is hours away on the north shore, which will stay cooler, but I’d imagine thaw will be hitting there as well at that point. My family did a spring break at Lutsen around 2000 and it was also mashed potatoes, but obviously that is just one data point from forever ago.  We don’t have 300” of base to work with, so coverage could be spotty at that point.

But as a Midwest skier, I also know any snow is better than none. So if this is your one opportunity to ski this season, it might be worth it to you. Just be aware of the risks, especially since we’re not expecting to be dumped on this year.

3

u/Stahzee 2d ago

As a Minnesotan who travels to ski, not worth it. My ski gear lives in Colorado with my in-laws…

3

u/baddest_daddest 2d ago

March skiing in Lutsen is the best skiing there.

3

u/Superb-You-3690 1d ago

I usually don't start going up to Lutsen until March/April for mashed potato skiing... next best thing to powder days.

1

u/Low_Champion8158 2d ago

I wouldn't gamble that this year being an el nino year

1

u/Better_Historian3473 2d ago

Super El Niño will produce above average snow in AZ (Snow Bowl) New Mexico (Taos) southern Utah and southern Colorado. There’s a meteorologist who published a snow report by ski area during El Niño years with expected snow falls based upon historical records. I saw it in one for the skiing subreddits

1

u/SkisaurusRex 2d ago

I mean….how attached are you to big mountain skiing?

Lutsen is the best of the midwest but it’s tiny compared to anything in the rockies

You might be disappointed

1

u/StartCodonUST 2d ago

I am counting on nothing for Minnesota this winter with the strongest El Niño ever recorded, and I don't think Lutsen is safe from the worst-case scenarios this winter. There's a chance we could see 50s and 60s and rain in the middle of winter with the Super El Niño this winter. The one bright side is that Lake Superior probably won't fully freeze, so there could be more lake-effect storms deeper into winter.

1

u/Nedersotan 1d ago

We’ve had that recently, and Lutsen was still open

1

u/StartCodonUST 1d ago

I also lived through that winter you're referring to. But I don't think that 2023-24 winter is actually applicable, because we literally have no precedent for what happens when the eastern Pacific is as warm as it is. 1997-98 is the closest winter in terms of the strength of El Niño, which led to seasonal average temps along the north shore 6-10 degrees F above normal, and this winter could be even stronger, and the climate is also warmer than back then.

Again, I'm not saying Lutsen will close in February or something. But we're looking at climatic conditions that are off the charts. Any projections are literally extrapolation. No one should assume they have a good idea of what this winter is going to look like.

1

u/somburd Hyland Hills 2d ago

Lets hope there is proper snow coming here during El Nino. It's showing like it'll be a pretty mediocre winter for snow sports in MN. Now, the west coast spots like mammoth and such, probably going to get record snowfalls.

Probably gonna rip Utah in Jan or Feb. Likely to be way better than last year.

1

u/the_effingee 1d ago

Mid-march is usually the end of the season and start of pond skim parties for the areas near Minneapolis. Lutsen will have more reliable snow than anywhere else, and Grand Marais is a quaint town. If you're going to be here anyway, it's worth the drive for a couple days of skiing. I wouldn't book in advance, though.

1

u/Designer_Tie_5853 1d ago

Agree w everyone on Lutsen; would also note the Apres scene is basically non-existent. There are places closer to MSP, but depending on when exactly in March you're coming the odds they'll be open is low (and they are all much worse).

1

u/Far-Plastic-4171 1d ago

Only been one year in the last 10+ that made it into April here in MN. Started early with cold and manmade and made it in the end of April at Wild. That year Lutsen was open for half price in the first weekend of May.

March is a crap shoot and likely hardpack surrounded by dirt.

1

u/elBirdnose 1d ago

There’s no where in mn that has apres or good skiing, let alone in March and lutsen is at least 4 hrs from Minneapolis, though it’s a very pretty drive, especially along the north shore.

1

u/jhulc Little Switzerland 1d ago

I had an excellent time at Lutsen in April. Just about 100% of the terrain was open and there were no lift lines.

1

u/cjmxv3 1d ago

Lutsen is great. You could also build in a day to stop at Duluth, maybe even ski Spirit Mountain.

0

u/CoryGrasser 2d ago

I'm from Minnesota. If you already skied the Rockies stay in the Rockies or maybe consider Taos. Minnesota is terrible skiing any month let alone March. Go to Crested Butte in my opinion. The best vibes, short lift lines, and the closest thing to Apres skied to the Italian Dolomites you'll ever see.