BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – In the same way we’re impacted by extreme cold, rapid temperature changes can affect soil, too.
Experts say a layer of snow is key to protecting soil in extreme cold. If soil is exposed to the cold, freezing and thawing cycles can cause the particles in soil to contract and expand. Vermont’s State Climatologist says that can make it harder for water and air to get to the soil when temperatures warm up in the spring.
“When it gets this cold if there isn’t enough of a layer of snow, which we may not have to worry about since it’s going to snow, we need to protect the soil integrity because the cold conditions can actually cause a loss of soil health,” says Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, the Vermont State Climatologist.
So, Sunday’s incoming snowfall could help protect soil from the continuing cold encasing Vermont for the rest of the week.
