We are now about a little over halfway through winter, and snowmobile season is at its peak all around the Northern Hemisphere. But as we approach spring and snow begins to thaw, riding snowmobiles becomes increasingly more impractical and severely dangerous. Knowing the average length of the snowmobile season and when you can ride your thrilling snowmobiles is critical for safety purposes. This post focuses on how long the snowmobile season lasts, which months it is in, and other specific details that make snowmobiling safe and enjoyable.
How Long Snowmobile Season Lasts
Snowmobile season last varies significantly among different locations across the globe, and even in the United States. But in Utah, where the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile base of operations is, the snowmobile season usually ranges between late November to mid-April. It starts right around Thanksgiving and ends around the time that Good Friday comes. In the Northern part of the United States, most states only get four months of the snowmobile season. But in Utah, the snowmobile season lasts for about five and a half months. However, the nearer you get to the Earth’s North Pole, the longer the snowmobile season will be.
On average, snowmobile trails open on November 18 and remain accessible until March 12. So, if we’re talking about the whole United States as a whole, snowmobile season lasts for just a little below four months.
What Affects the Length of the Snowmobile Season?
Several factors affect the length of the snowmobile season. The factors that are the most essential include the winter months, government laws, property owners’ preferences, and hunting season. There may be more factors in different areas, but these are the factors that primarily affect the length of the snowmobile season.
Winter Months
Snowmobile, as the name implies, requires snow. And snow falls from the sky when it is cold; the colder it gets the more snowfalls. It is not hard to understand why the winter months affect the snowmobile season. The colder the winter months are, the longer you can snowmobile. When the winter months are extremely cold, the snow falls and piles up more quickly. If this is the case, you can potentially start snowmobiling sooner instead of waiting for the snow to get thick – provided that the other factors don’t hinder that possibility.
Government Laws
Some local governments impose laws on when citizens can use public or private snowmobile trails. The nature of these laws varies greatly from local government to local government. Some states dictate that snowmobile trails open remain open from a specific date to another specific date. Other places are not so rigid with their laws regarding snowmobile season. They may state that the season will last as long as the trails are safe for snowmobiles.
While other governments issue permits to individuals that allow them to use snowmobile trails. Some local governments issue permits based on agreements with private snowmobile clubs that maintain trails. These permits give the clubs small power to decide when snowmobilers can use the trails. Another example of government laws regarding the use of snowmobile trails is prohibiting snowmobiling during hunting seasons.
Hunting Seasons
When there are hunting seasons in an area, it may affect the length of the snowmobile season. As long as it is hunting season, snowmobilers can’t enjoy their favorite trails. Local governments, clubs, or property owners may prohibit snowmobiling during hunting season to protect the interests of hunters. Overlapping the hunting and snowmobiling seasons is a considerable hazard risk for snowmobilers, hunters, and even animals. Hunting seasons usually last for as long as certain games like deer are active.
If hunting season overlaps with snowmobile season, snowmobilers may run over the hunters or animals. Governments and property owners can’t cut hunting seasons short for the sake of snowmobilers, either. If they do, the hunters may not be on the grounds of the snowmobile trails, but the animals may be. So, as long as the animals remain active, there’s a good chance it’s hunting season, and the season will not start until animals leave the grounds.
Property Owners
Property owners can decide when to allow snowmobilers to use their trails, as long as they don’t go against local government laws. Property owners can prohibit the use of their snowmobile trails for whatever reason they deem fit. Their reasoning could be because it’s hard to maintain the course, snowmobiling endangers the animals in their property, or just because they don’t want to open their grounds. Suppose you own a property with decent snowmobiling trails; good for you! You can snowmobile anytime you want as long as the government does not explicitly say otherwise. For you, snowmobile season is anytime there is snow that on which a snowmobile can glide across.
Other Cases
If none of the cases discussed above apply to you, then you can determine the length of the “snowmobile season” in your area on your own. Generally, snowmobiles need about 6 inches of snow to function correctly. But depending on the weight of your snowmobile, you can snowmobile on less than 6 inches of snow. However, you should stick to thick layers of snow for safety’s sake. The thicker the snow, the smoother the snowmobile glides, the more thrilling the experience, and the fewer risks of accidents. In places where there is no official snowmobile season, nothing prohibits you from snowmobiling any time of the year, as long as you do it safely and responsibly.
Summary
The average length of snowmobiling across the United States is about four months. In Utah, where the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile base of operations is, the length of the season is around five months and a couple of weeks. The factors that dictate the length of the season are the coldness of the winter months, government laws, hunting seasons, and property owners’ preferences. In places where none of the mentioned factors apply, there is no official snowmobile season. But as long as you have snow thick enough for your snowmobile, you can safely ride any time you want.
About Rocky Mountain Snowmobile
Rocky Mountain Snowmobile specializes in various equipment and accessories for safe and enjoyable snow-related sports. To learn about the best equipment to enjoy the snowmobile season, talk to us through the contact us page, email sales@motofrugals.com, phone (801)-224-5073, fax (801)-224-5078, or send a mail to Rocky Mountain Snowmobile, 1182 N. State Street, Orem, UT 84057.
