Snow
Snow is a wonderful insulating blanket, ideally suited to trapping air. By its very nature, aging it produces a tough upper crust which holds in the heat, usually radiated slowly up from the soil, thus partially melting the initially fluffy snow flakes and turning them into coarse, sugar-like crystals. Anyone who has tried walking in old, deep, undisturbed snow will attest to the fact that it is rather like walking on loose, dry beach sand. This thermal winter blanket traps air in a manner similar to the insulation in your house walls, evening out radical changes in temperature that are experienced in some locations. Its glittering white reflective surface also helps in maintaining its structure and evening out temperature, because white is a good reflector of light and heat. In addition, if the surface layer starts to melt and refreezes, then a hard crust can develop at the surface. Depending on its incident angle, the sun’s rays can have significant heating potential, even in the dead of winter. By covering plants with this light-blocking layer, wide temperature fluctuations are avoided along with the potential desiccation and death that may easily follow.
The wind has a tendency to push snowflakes about, especially when they are still fresh and feather-light, apportioning more snow to the lea side of disruptions in the winter landscape. This in turn creates microclimates: areas that are allotted slightly more moisture than average during the critical transition period when the snow melts in the spring. As this magic blanket covers and protects plants from the dehydrating winter sun, so too does it act as a blind for small rodents and insects that are adapted to the cold. They can scurry about their business and seldom have to worry about the large predators from the outer world.
As a creature that can manipulate his environment, man has found ways to alter the properties of snow, changing its density and consequently its insulating and reflecting characteristics both intentionally and unintentionally. People involved in the construction of temporary winter access roads have long discovered that removing most of the snow cover results in rapid freeze-up of the ground beneath, thereby resulting in a nice hard driving surface. We unwittingly do similar things by unintentionally compacting the snow through some traditional winter activities. Skiing, snowshoeing, and especially using snow machines can accelerate freezing in the soil, thereby putting stress on some of the more sensitive plants. Chasing wildlife during this time of year is exceptionally stressful for them as they not only find it tough going to run in the snow, which causes them to sweat easily. This sweating was designed to cool the animal off rapidly, but in the winter months such cooling can be fatal as it may occur much more rapidly than nature intended, sending the distressed animal into a state of shock.
In order to have a minimal impact on the environment, please be considerate and keep to designated trails. Try to engage in activities that compact as little snow surface area as possible. Avoid bending and bumping into woody vegetation that is more brittle at this time of year. Lastly, put yourself in the animal’s position, and if you do see wildlife, provide for them a large buffer zone so they will not feel threatened and forced to run. Until next week, enjoy and appreciate the winter landscape! MM.