The Good News and the Not Quite As Good News

The current 10-day forecast does not include much in the way of snow, so that means we will probably not have to deal with snowmobile traffic or knee-deep snow. We would still face the prospect of ATV traffic on the Badger between Monticello and Monroe and for the entire length of the Cheese trail.

The less-good news is that the same forecast also predicts single-digit lows for the night of Friday, December 20, a high of 10 for the 21st and a low of -2 for that night. There's no wind prediction at this point, but that's something we'll have to factor into the decision of whether to ride as the day draws nearer. Note that the prevailing winds during our recent cold snap have been from the west and northwest, which mean a headwind for most of the Cheese Trail.

Should conditions be borderline, we could always shorten the ride at any time before leaving downtown Monroe—up to about 31 miles each direction. Once we embark on the Cheese trail, there isn't really a good way to shorten the route back.

I'd also suggest an ice date (like a rain date, only colder) of December 28.

[source: Weather Underground]