A 5-centimeter layer of snow will protect winter plants even in the event of frost down to -15 °C.

Published Dec 26, 2025

Tridge summary

The colder it gets without snow cover, the more vulnerable plants are to damage and even freezing. With at least 5 cm of snow, plants will be protected up to temperatures of -10 or -15 degrees Celsius. Cover crops, or plants sown in the field after the main crop is harvested, protect the soil from erosion, but they cannot completely replace the snow in winter, which is so important for agriculture, says a Polish professor.

Original content

From an agricultural perspective, snow is primarily a water resource and protection for plants against freezing. And at the same time, the colder it gets without snow cover, the more vulnerable plants are to damage or even death. This is reported by Farmer.pl, citing the words of Professor Zuzanna Sawińska from the Faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Biotechnology at the Poznań University of Life Sciences. "The colder it gets without snow cover, the more vulnerable plants are to damage and even freezing. With at least 5 cm of snow, plants will be protected against temperatures of -10 or -15 degrees Celsius. And such temperatures can happen to us," she said. The researcher explained that in the 1980s, the average snow cover height in Poland ranged from 15 to 25 cm. Snow lasted from around mid-November to the end of January, and sometimes until the beginning of February. "In the 1990s, the average snow cover depth decreased to 7-10 cm, and its duration was reduced to January. ...
Source: Superagronom

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