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Home Blog The Benefits of Snow

The Benefits of Snow

Posted on February 3, 2022

The Benefits of Snow

Winter white out! The last few days our area received heavy snowfall and news outlets were shouting from the rooftops to “stay inside, dangerous conditions!” While some people see this much snow as a burden (looking at you driveway shoveling) our native plants and animals rely on accumulated snowfall to survive and thrive through the winter season.

Soil-

  • One major benefit of a good snow cover is snow functions as an excellent insulator of the soil. Without snow, very cold temperatures can freeze the soil deeper underground, which could lead to damaged root systems of trees and shrubs.
  • The insulating effect of snow also helps protect plants from alternating freezing and thawing cycles. Without snow, milder temperatures and sunshine warms 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.

Animals

  • A pile of snow can also benefit mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects hibernating beneath the ground. That’s because, as we said above, snow is a great insulator. Snow owes its ability to insulate to the air pockets found between fallen snowflakes. Researchers found that the temperature of the soil beneath seven inches of snow was 24 degrees Fahrenheit, while it was minus 27 degrees above the snow. Above-ground animals sometimes take advantage of the snow to reach seeds, buds, berries, and stems that would otherwise be beyond their reach when trying to feed on bare ground.
  • Under the snow, there's an entire new microhabitat called the subivium! Named for the Latin words for below (sub) and snow (nivis), the term refers to the tiny pocket between fallen snow and the ground itself, which is teeming with life, even in the dead of winter. There are mosses, fungi, and a surprising number of animals, including small rodents, porcupines, and birds. They tunnel around in the toasty subnivium, protected by the frosty blanket above them.

Ground Water

  • Have you ever heard of the 6th Great Lake? An important water source which is mostly out of sight and out of mind is our ground water, and we rely on it! In Michigan, groundwater is buried  in rock layers that serve as aquifers. Almost half of Michigan citizens are served by groundwater, and the state uses 700 million gallons of groundwater each day. Public water supplies in Michigan provide groundwater to 1.7 million people and the state has nine percent of the nation’s groundwater supply systems, the highest share of any state, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, & Energy.
  • How is groundwater recharged? The water tends to seep through the soil and fill the empty spaces and cracks below the ground. When spring time comes heavy snowfall can slowly melt which can help replenish underground water levels as well as our streams, rivers, and lakes.

So while heavy snowfall can be a burden for us at times, our native plants and animals have adapted to survive and even rely on the snow. So we say let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!