A blanket of snow. Today, most people hear the phrase and think of it only as a visual metaphor, if they think of it at all. Snow covers everything; it looks like a blanket, end of story. What’s really happening is much more than a visually blanketing; it’s a literal blanket. And it’s not just for Nordic babies taking winter naps outside (living that “no such thing as bad weather” early), it's part of the seasons of life.
Snow is a little bit of frozen water surrounded by a lot of air. Just like home insulation is some foam or fiberglass with pockets of air (just ask these guys), it provides a barrier to the different temperatures on both sides without conducting it through. And while to our exposed skin ice particles are cold, temperature is relative. In many instances (take last week for example), the snow is comparatively much warmer than the outside air temperature. This provides protection for plant roots and stems from extreme cold or dramatic freeze and thaw cycles.
Read the column on the Dayton Daily News website here: The Real Power of a Blanket of Snow
Different animals deal with winter and snow in varying ways. On extremely cold nights, ruffed grouse will sometimes give up their roost in trees for one under the snow, diving into the powder to completely cover themselves until morning. Check out this video.
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