Douglas: More bad news for Minnesota snowmobilers

I was allegedly named after my Uncle Paul, who had one of the earliest snowmobile franchises in the U.S. I saw my first sled when I was 8, in northern Pennsylvania. People pulled over to the side of the road to watch these noisy contraptions do loops in a farmer’s field.

When our boys were younger we had two snowmobiles. There is nothing more exhilarating than riding through freshly fallen snow on a trail. Ditch-riding? Not as much fun — the definition of pain in the butt.

In recent years I’ve heard from local snowmobilers upset by erratic snowfall patterns. There are 22,000 miles of groomed trails here in Minnesota, and 220,000 registered snowmobiles, down from a peak of 297,000 in 2001. Sketchy snow may be one of many reasons.

Numbing air that was over Russia 10 days ago keeps us in the teens Saturday, despite a pleading sun. Another reinforcing swipe of arctic air arrives later next week. Pacific air returns: Expect maybe two to four days in the 30s the second week of December. Here in Minnesota we call 32 degrees a “warm front.”