I can’t offer up much in regard to the nature of the ice but I’ve always been told that if there’s any melting to be had, the ice is way more unpredictable from melting than it is from freezing. As for the warm winter, we had a medium El Nino again this year to mess with things and in looking over the past century or so, it’s been projected that we’re in the same cycle (or a similar one) as we had from the 20’s through the Dust Bowl. It’s being tossed around but no one really knows for sure.
To cure the snowmobiling blues, I’ve found that this is an excellent opportunity to ride ATV’s like never before! With the ground frozen and no deep snow in the woods, you can just get out in the middle of the woods and truck around in areas that were once more questionable for firmness or traction and it’s almost impossible to get stuck!