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Ski Report

Giants Ridge Resort Snow Report

Minnesota, United States Aurora
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As of 2026-08-18
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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.

831 FXUS63 KDLH 190528 AFDDLH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Duluth MN 1228 AM CDT Wed Aug 19 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Dry weather today through Wednesday for nearly all. - Scattered showers and non-severe storms forecast Thursday into Friday. A few strong thunderstorms are possible Thursday for the Brainerd Lakes into east-cental MN and far western WI. - Additional chances for scattered shower and thunderstorms next Monday and Tuesday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1155 AM CDT Tue Aug 18 2026 Dry weather will prevail for the Northland today through Wednesday night, though a few passing showers cannot be ruled out late this afternoon in inland north-central Wisconsin. High pressure moving in overhead tonight helps to create ideal radiational cooling, dropping temperatures into the low to mid-40s. Cold spots in the Arrowhead and along the Iron Range dip into the upper-30s tonight, but no frost is forecast. Quiet and dry conditions continue through Wednesday with seasonal high temperatures in the upper 70s. The next shortwave moves through the area on Thursday and brings a 45 to 70 percent chance of showers and non-severe thunderstorms. A warm front sets up and brings instability that is forecast to build to around 1000 J/kg of CAPE, PWATs approaching 1.5 inches, bulk shear of 45-50 knots and mesoscale forcing associated with the shortwave system. A few strong thunderstorms are possible for the Brainerd Lakes to east-central Minnesota and into far western Wisconsin Thursday late afternoon to early evening. A cold frontal passage on Friday keeps widely scattered post-frontal showers in play for Friday daytime, along with non-severe thunderstorms into the Arrowhead to the Twin Ports and across northwest Wisconsin. Following the front, a mild and very nice weather weekend is coming up for our region. Temperatures will remain pleasant in the 70s with mostly sunny skies. The next weather system after the Thursday and Friday one brings rain shower and thunderstorm chances back to the area early Monday morning into Tuesday. This progressive pattern will continue to provide periodic precipitation chances. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1228 AM CDT Wed Aug 19 2026 With the exception of patchy fog early this morning, VFR conditions are expected through the period. Confidence in patchy fog is highest for KHIB, with the potential for brief periods of LIFR visibility just before sunrise. Calm winds will become west to northwest for the afternoon with speeds generally being light. && .MARINE /FOR NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/... Issued at 1137 AM CDT Tue Aug 18 2026 Southwest winds will increase this afternoon from Grand Portage to Grand Marais, generating gusts up to 25 knots and waves of 1 to 3 feet, resulting in a Small Craft Advisory through this evening. Winds will shift to the northwest and decrease tonight. Expect generally light winds on Wednesday before another system brings rain and thunderstorm chances to western Lake Superior by late Thursday and Friday. For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 1141 AM CDT Tue Aug 18 2026 Predominantly rain-free weather is expected today and Wednesday. Minimum relative humidity will drop to 35 to 45 percent this afternoon with northwest winds gusting up to 18 mph. Deep mixing on Wednesday will drop humidity values to 28 to 38 percent for most locations, with light west to northwest winds. Showers and storms return Thursday along a weak warm front, with another round for Friday with a passing cold front. Light to moderate rainfall is forecast. The best potential for a few strong thunderstorms Thursday, along with very localized and brief heavy rainfall, is in the Brainerd Lakes to east-central MN and into west-central WI. See the Fire Weather Forecast product for a more thorough breakdown of fire weather conditions. && .DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. MARINE...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...NLy AVIATION...Unruh MARINE...NLy FIRE WEATHER...NLy

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.

More ski areas

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