Mulches could be applied over existing snow. There are a few drawbacks to snow. Heavy snow can damage trees and shrubs as the weight accumulates on branches. If there are heavy snows, carefully brush off snow from branches. The other drawback of snow in the landscape is small animals, such as voles field mice are now protected from predators. These pests may gnaw on tender bark at the base of young tree trunks and the stems of shrubs. Voles also will tunnel on the surface of lawns under the snow, making very visible winding trails as the snows melt in spring.
Rabbits will also be more likely to feed on tender bark when the ground is covered. Snow prevents extreme cold temperatures from harming plants. Snow protects against against wide temperature fluctuations in the soil.
Under that cozy comforter of white, the roots of perennials, bulbs, ground covers, and strawberry plants are protected from the freeze-thaw cycle that can heave tender roots right out of the ground. Without snow, milder temperatures and the sun could warm the soil surface, leading to damage from soil heaving, which can break roots and dry out plant parts. Snow also helps conserve soil moisture over the winter.
Plus, did you know that nitrogen attaches to snowflakes as the snow falls through the atmosphere? Snown cover is valuable winter protection for your expensive trees and shrubs. In most cases, 2 to 4 inches of mulch, such as straw, pine needles, hay or bark chips, give adequate protection. You can mulch right on top of the snow. Applying too early can smother the plant and encourage disease development.
The IPCC's report says human-produced greenhouse gases are likely to blame for this decline, and that if emissions continue at their current rate, the amount of springtime snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere could decline 25 percent by That's not just bad news for skiers and snowmobilers.
As it turns out, Snow serves two functions vital to life on Earth. Firstly, snow reflects sunlight back into space, helping to cool the planet. This property — how well a material can reflect sunlight — is called albedo , and scientists measure it on 0 to 1 scale, with 0 being perfectly absorbent and 1 being perfectly reflective.
Ocean water has an albedo of around 0. But the albedo of fresh snow can be as high as 90 percent. That makes it far more reflective and thus better at discharging solar energy back out into space than almost any other material on Earth. The high reflective quality of snow is especially important during springtime in the Northern Hemisphere, because it helps cool the planet even as daylight hours increase, according to the NSIDC. With less snow, the air temperature gotten warmer over time , causing more melting earlier in the year.
I wish i could experience winter… Sir Eric Novak Thanks a lot. Thanks to the author for such an easy to understand article for the 4th grader as i was looking for his assignment. I am sure that helped me helping doing the project nicely for my little one. Thanks again. Thanks for this down to earth, easy to understand article. My pleasure Kathy! The lack of cold along with the snow allows bark beetles to survive and with trees stressed with drought no snow they are more susceptible to the beetle as well as to forest fires.
Ontario burned through over , hectares of forest last year the 10 year average is 76, Thanks Lee, and great points! There are so many reasons why we need to embrace the seasons as they should be. And we need cold weather to make ice on our lakes and snow to insulate and keep that ice to reduce evaporation. Even the fish need the ice and insulating snow to survive properly.
So yes, we need snow and while everyone is thrilled not to have to shovel much this year, we will feel the impacts everywhere. I have been telling people this information but they do not seem to listen. Snow is part of our precious environment and we need it for balance. Spring feed ponds and lakes are in desperate need of snow to make sure there is enough moisture for well and the level of the ponds and lakes.
Thanks Pamela! I appreciate your comment and your feedback! Your email address will not be published. Your email:. About Arras WordPress Theme. Copyright Eric Novak aka - Enviro Dad, All Rights Reserved. This site designed using Wordpress and the Arras theme. Enviro Dad. Why Snow is a Good Thing! By Eric Novak. About Eric Novak Eric Novak is a father of 4 who also thinks that environmental stewardship is a requisite of parenting.
He's not a professional Dad nor is he an environmental scientist, but he's someone who gives a damn and is trying to make the right decisions as he lives his life as a father, environmentalist, part time professor and business owner. Eric has 4 children and resides in Ajax, Ontario. Wendy snutshityourface. Posted October 23, at PM. Jared Braithwaite.
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