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February 4, 2011 · 4 Comments

Snow’s Insulation Power in Winter

Climate

plant buried in snow

It’s cool on top, cozy down below with this big pile of snow—that’s the key to snow’s insulation power.

How much difference does snow make in insulating plants? According to researchers at Rutger’s University, 9 inches of snow cover can make a 42 degree difference in temperature. According to their experiment, if the air temperature is -14 degrees F, the ground temperature under 9 inches of snow would be 28 degrees.

It must be about 85 under those monster piles at the end of my driveway!

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Comments

  1. Karen says

    February 4, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    That is an amazing bit of information! Now I don’t feel so sorry for my flowers out there under their insulation blanket. You could have a party under your 85 degree snowpiles out in the driveway. 🙂

  2. Rhonda Hayes says

    February 6, 2011 at 9:11 pm

    Really, it’s a wonder there isn’t steam coming out of all the snow at our house!

Trackbacks

  1. Can My Plants Survive This Super-Cold Weather? says:
    January 4, 2014 at 12:28 pm

    […] courtyards near the front door or other protected spots. Snow is also a factor. In fact, snow is a great insulator. The light snow that falls in very cold temperatures has a high percentage of air in it (sometimes […]

  2. 5 Winter Garden Tips – What You Should Be Doing - DIY + Inspiration says:
    December 15, 2017 at 8:09 am

    […] Did you know snow is actually a very effective insulator? According to expert blog Dave’s Garden, even when your plants are dormant above ground, the roots are still actively growing unless the ground is frozen. Wet snow allows moisture to slowly seep in, and a blanket of snow helps keep the ground from freezing. This keeps the roots active, the soil moist, and helps prevent frost penetration. In fact, “9 inches of snow cover can make a 42-degree difference in temperature.” (My Northern Garden) […]

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Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a g Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a good time to sow perennials. Winter sowing is a way to get more plants at less cost by sowing seeds outdoors in mini-greenhouses in winter. The best greenhouse is a one-gallon milk jug. (Edit: leave the caps off! This was my first attempt at winter sowing and I did it wrong. The podcast episode explains why.) 

For advice on how to do it from an expert, check out a podcast episode from 2021 where Michelle Mero Riedel explains her process. Great info! Link in bio and in stories. #wintersowing #mnpodcast #mngardening
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My January newsletter includes lists of best annuals for pollinators (of course zinnias are on the list), best herbs for beginners and a link to a slightly older blog post about best trees for urban gardens in our current and future climate. Check it out and start making your own list of go-to plants! 

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Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climat Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climate gardeners is out. About every six weeks, I send seasonal info on plants and garden tasks plus lots of links to gardening resources, books to read and more. 

The current issue includes a cute idea for a hostess gift for the holidays (pictured), a free download on recommended tomato varieties for northern gardeners and some musings on talking about gardening with folks suffering from dementia (lots of memories grow in the garden!) It's free, not too long and only comes out once in a while. 

Link to the current issue in bio plus stories. 
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The book is about 85 percent how-to for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4 and 15 percent history of organized horticulture in Minnesota. It's still available and selling. It's always a thrill when gardeners tell me that they read the book and it helped them. That's why garden writers write garden books (believe me, it isn't the money!). 

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