Remember last month when we were looking down and saw that daffodil bulbs were starting to sprout? Now like everything else they are covered with lots and lots of snow. And this is great for the daffodils! Let’s learn why.
Snow is made up of ice crystals. These crystals are very light, so as they accumulate there is lots of air trapped between them. How much air? Depending on whether you have a really heavy snow or a light airy snow, 1 inch of rain is equivalent to anywhere from 4 and 15 inches of snow.
During the summer, the sun warms up the soil. As the air temperature drops in the fall, the soil also begins to cool. Once the ground is covered with snow, the snow acts like a blanket and prevents the ground from losing too much more heat.
So back to our daffodil sprouts. Some plants, like daffodils can survive freezing temperatures without injury. But if the temperatures drop too low and the plants are not covered with snow, they will be damaged and may even be killed. Right now the daffodil sprouts are safe and secure under their snowy blanket waiting patiently for spring when they will dazzle us with their brightly colored blooms!
Learn more about how snow protects our plants:
A Blanket of Snow: Good or Bad for Plants? – Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Snow provided an insulating blanket for asparagus crowns this winter – Michigan State University Extension
Fun Activity – How much water is in snow?
A great way to see how much water is in snow, it to do an experiment. Collect some snow in a jar. Mark where it is and then let it melt. You can make it a game by guessing how much water you think will be left in the jar. The results may be surprising!
