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Ski Report

Giants Ridge Resort Snow Report

Minnesota, United States Aurora
New snow
0.0in
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Temperature
42°F
 
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As of 2026-10-14
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Air temp
42°F
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Giants Ridge Resort -- Minnesota ski resort
Giants Ridge Resort Minnesota · Aurora
About this resort

Giants Ridge Resort

Giants Ridge Resort in Minnesota boasts 35 trails over 202 acres of skiable terrain. Skiers of all levels will find something suitable for their skill range, with 30% of the trails dedicated to beginners. The resort also offers night skiing on select days. A little-known fact about Giants Ridge is that the ski area was once a mining site, and the nearby town of Biwabik was once a booming mining town. For beginners, the resort recommends the Cruiser and Birch beginner slopes. After a long day on the slopes, head to the Burnt Onion Kitchen & Brews for some delicious food and drinks, or relax in the cozy atmosphere of the Sleeping Giant Lounge.

Terrain mix: Giants Ridge Resort in Minnesota is located in the Mesabi Range, a prominent mountain range in the state known for its iron ore deposits. The resort itself is situated within the Superior National Forest, offering stunning views of the surrounding forested hills and valleys.

The ski resort features several ski runs and slopes, including the Giants Ridge Mountain, a popular spot for skiing and snowboarding. The mountain has a vertical drop of 500 feet, with a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs to cater to all skill levels.

Overall, Giants Ridge Resort offers a unique mountain experience in the Midwest, with beautiful natural surroundings and challenging terrain for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy.

StateMinnesota
LocationAurora
Base elevation1,473 ft
Summit elevation1,972 ft
Skiable acreage202 acres
Lifts6
Runs35
Longest run3,960 ft
Opened1958
Terrain parkYes
Night skiingYes
Detailed forecast

Plan your day down to the hour

Same weather feed Snoflo's iOS app uses -- updated continuously from NOAA / yr.no. Watch the snow column the morning of a storm to know when to call in sick.

Hourly detail

Next 5 days, hour by hour

Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.

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Deep dive

5-day forecast table

Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.

TimeConditionTemp (°F)Snow (in)Rain (in)Humidity (%)Wind (mps)Wind dir
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Long-term outlook

15-day temperature & snow

Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks -- start of next storm cycle, end of last one.

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Forecast discussion

What forecasters are seeing

Plain-English forecast narrative from the local NWS office. Issued by NWS DLH.

587 FXUS63 KDLH 150612 AFDDLH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Duluth MN 112 AM CDT Thu Oct 15 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Rain enters from the west this morning and spreads east through the day. NW WI will see the majority of the rainfall. No storms expected with the passing system. - Gusty and dry conditions return on Friday and Saturday and may prompt fire weather concerns, especially on Saturday. && .UPDATE... Issued at 109 AM CDT Thu Oct 15 2026 Synoptic set remains consistent with the discussion below. Overall, expecting showers to enter from the west this morning and spread east through the day. Minor shift in the low pressure going slightly further north has increased QPF for NW WI with the Gogebic Range now expecting greater than 0.50" The NBM seems to be struggling with temperatures under our cloudy regime. Max temperatures are too warm and overnight lows are too cold. Small adjustments were made, except for Friday morning where the NBM is 5-6F too cold. Leaned into the higher model consensus which keeps much of the region above freezing Friday morning. Precipitation will be exiting Friday morning and will largely be in the form of rain. Far northern MN could see a few snowflakes mix in but not expecting any impacts. The only other overhaul was to the Min RHs for Saturday. Model soundings remain very dry and with the abundance of sunshine expected Min RHs will likely fall to 25-30%. Increasing winds into the afternoon may prompt fire weather concerns. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 245 PM CDT Wed Oct 14 2026 For the rest of this afternoon, lingering stratus clouds will slowly scatter across the Northland, leaving behind calm and quiet conditions. Cloud cover will increase again tonight across the area. Opted to increase low temperatures for tonight compared to guidance due to higher cloud cover limiting heat release overnight, with readings staying in the lower to mid 30s rather than dipping into the 20s. An upper-level cutoff low over the Four Corners will phase into an incoming trough from the Canadian Prairies on Thursday, leading to a surface low moving across Wisconsin into the Great Lakes. Rainfall will develop along a frontogenesis band Thursday morning and spread across the area through the afternoon. Rain chances will be highest across northwest Wisconsin, where a tenth to a quarter inch of rain is expected. Low temperatures in the mid 30s are also anticipated for tomorrow night due to higher cloud cover. A large trough will bring rain chances and cool air close behind for the late week. Precipitation along and wrap around precipitation behind the front will keep rain chances going for Thursday night into Friday morning. There is no snow currently in the latest forecast for early Friday morning, but a few flakes falling with light rain is still possible across the Arrowhead and south shore. Strong northwest winds will surge behind the boundary late Thursday night into Friday, gusting 25 to 35 mph across the Northland, with gusts up to 45 mph near Lake Superior before diminishing Friday afternoon. High pressure builds across the Upper Midwest Friday night into Saturday, setting the stage for very dry air to overspread the region. Forecasters are still looking at relative humidity as low as 25 percent for Saturday. Winds are expected to increase in the afternoon, but timing will depend on the speed of a warm front moving through. The combination of gusty southwest winds reaching 20 to 30 mph and the dry air mass could lead to near-critical to critical fire weather conditions on Saturday. An upper-level shortwave will pass north of the international border on Sunday, dragging a mostly dry cold front through our region with passing clouds. Heading into early next week, upper-level ridging will become the predominant pattern driver across the Great Lakes. This will maintain dry, mostly clear, and mild conditions through Monday and Tuesday. While a couple of weak shortwaves may attempt to bring a stray shower next week, dry weather is favored to dominate. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1225 AM CDT Thu Oct 15 2026 MVFR stratus still envelopes much of the region this evening with a small clearing from BRD to HYR. However, cloud cover is already starting to fill in over this clearing. Rain is expected to enter from the west by late morning and spread east through the remainder of the TAF period. HYR will see the most steady state rain with areas west and north getting a glancing blow before showers become more scattered in nature through the evening hours. && .MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/... Issued at 109 AM CDT Thu Oct 15 2026 Light southeast winds today will gradually turn to out of the southwest as rain enters from the west. Rain will persist through the overnight hours but no storms are expected. Winds will turn to out of the north with the departure of the rain early Friday morning and ramp up rapidly. Widespread gales are expected and a Gale Watch is in effect. Gales will briefly weaken Friday evening, but look to return on Saturday as winds turn to out of the southwest. For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 109 AM CDT Thu Oct 15 2026 No fire weather concerns today. Rain moves in from the west and spreads east through the day. NW WI will see the lion`s share of the moisture with totals of 0.25-0.75" expected. Very windy conditions for Friday morning as the system exits, but dry air doesn`t look to take hold of the region until Saturday. While winds won`t be quite as strong we are still forecasting widespread gusts in excess of 25 mph. Model soundings show an immense amount of dry air aloft, and when paired with an abundance of sunshine we should see those RHs fall to 25-30%. Fire weather headlines may be needed. See the Fire Weather Forecast product for a more thorough breakdown of fire weather conditions. && .DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. MARINE...Gale Watch from late tonight through Friday afternoon for LSZ121-140>148-150. && $$ UPDATE...Britt DISCUSSION...KML AVIATION...Britt MARINE...Britt FIRE WEATHER...Britt

Mountain & avalanche safety

Know before you go
Check today's avalanche bulletin from the regional avalanche center before any off-piste / side-country / backcountry travel. Conditions can shift dramatically between morning and afternoon on storm days.
Carry the gear, know how to use it
Beacon, shovel, probe. Practice companion rescue on a calm day, not during a real burial.
Mind the weather window
Heavy snow + wind builds wind slabs at ridgelines. The day after a storm is often the riskiest in the backcountry, even if the resort itself is open.
Respect closed terrain
Ropes are there for a reason. Even in-bounds, ducking a closure can trigger a slide that catches you and others below.

Track Giants Ridge Resort in the Snoflo app

Save this resort as a favorite, set push alerts when snowfall crosses a threshold (e.g. "alert me when Giants Ridge Resort reports 6″ new"), and Snoflo's iOS app will push the moment the SNOTEL station crosses.

FAQ

About Giants Ridge Resort

Where does the snow data for Giants Ridge Resort come from?

Snowpack, SWE, 24-hour snowfall, and air temperature come from the nearest USDA NRCS SNOTEL station. Forecast comes from the National Weather Service / yr.no feed that Snoflo's iOS app uses.

How often is the snow report updated?

Snowpack and SNOTEL data are updated continuously by NRCS (typically hourly). The 15-day weather forecast is refreshed throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- look for the "as of" timestamp on the snowpack hero.

What's the elevation at Giants Ridge Resort?

See the Resort Metrics panel above for base / summit / vertical drop. The summit elevation drives snowpack accumulation -- higher summits hold snow longer through spring.

How is "% of normal" calculated?

Today's snowpack is compared to the average snowpack on this calendar day across every recorded year at the nearest SNOTEL. 100% means right on average; 130% is a big year; 60% is thin.

What ski resorts are near Giants Ridge Resort?

See the Other Ski Areas pill grid at the bottom of the page for resorts within driving distance. The sister Other Ski Areas card in the Plan-a-longer-trip grid above shows the closest few.

Can I get alerts when fresh snow hits?

Yes -- snow alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this resort, set a snowfall threshold (e.g. "alert me when 6+ inches"), and you'll get a push the moment the SNOTEL crosses.

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