By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- With snowmobiling season officially less than a week away, members of the Four Flags Snowmobile Club are hoping for a heavy dose of winter weather soon.
Predictions by area meteorologists and the Old Farmer's Almanac are calling for colder temperatures and above average snowfall this winter.
Palmer and the club is getting ready to mark its trails, which cover 51 miles from Anderson Road to Napier Avenue. The club can't officially mark trails until Saturday, Dec. 6, because of the state's hunting season, but Palmer and several members will be out Friday night marking small sections of the trails where no deer hunting is taking place.
Statewide, snowmobile trails officially open Monday. Palmer hopes Mother Nature cooperates like she has in the past.
WSBT meteorologist Larry Mowry thinks southwest Michigan will be a great area for snowmobiling this winter.
The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts the same thing, temperatures about three degrees below norman and precipitation slightly above normal. The almanac predicts the greatest amount of snowfall will occur in late November, early and late December and mid-January.
Mowry predicts snowmobile riders will have to wait a week or more before going for the first ride of the season.
Official snowmobile trail maps of southwest lower peninsula can be purchased for $2 apiece at Andy Legus Shell in Niles or at Indian Lake Pub in Eau Claire.
Maps can also be found on the internet at www.fishweb.com/recreation/snowmobile/snowmobiling.html