Snow and Ice - the USGA's take

A noticable ice layer under all that snow on #3 green.

By far the number one question of late has been "is this snow cover good or bad?"  Most of you have heard me lament about snow mold and various issues that can arise with extended snow cover, but it hasn't been a concern in recent years due to warm winters.  This year is a different story.  We have been under snow cover for the better part of 2014.

Snow itself isn't really much of a concern.  In fact, it has likely been a help with the record low temperatures we've had this year.  Much like an igloo, it provides protection and insulation from wind dessication and extreme temperatures.  Snow mold pressure is definitely a concern, but with the plant protectants we applied in the late fall, we should still be ok.

The thing we worry about is ice.  Since our greens are between 50-90% Poa annua, continuous encasement in ice can be a worry (bentgrass can handle winter much better).  Toxic gases can build up and cause damage especially after 40-60 days of continuous coverage.  Our greens were quickly thawed and refrozen by a rain storm during the brief thaw and rain in mid-January followed immediately by more snow.  This created an ice layer on our greens between a quarter and three-quarters of an inch.  The more shaded the green, the greater the ice (add this to the long list of why we don't like trees around greens).   I was hoping the thaw we just got through would take care of the problem, but as you can see, it didn't really do much at all.

The problem also is that going out and removing the insulating layer may do more harm than good.  Speaking with other superintendents and turf scientists at Ohio State, the snow melting and constantly re-freezing on an uncovered green can be even more of a problem than a few extra days in ice coverage.  Looking at our coming weather and temperature pattern, I would be more worried to remove the protection as of now.  There have been superintendent's out already (mostly at higher-budget well-staffed facilities) that have been blowing and shoveling off their greens all winter long even using aerifiers to bust up ice layers for removal.  I don't believe this is necessary and could even be detrimental in some cases.  Most people in our area are adopting a "monitor, wait and see" approach.

I am not too concerned.  I have been out to several greens and chipping through the ice and sniffing for the distinct sulfur smell that could indicate trouble (see article below).  As of now, I haven't detected any.  Should the ice coverage last too much longer, we will continue to be diligent and monitor conditions.

Below is a link to an article from the USGA Green Section that explains their take and gives a few more details for consideration.

Click Here - Our USGA Regional Agronomist gives his opinion on snow/ice removal

Click Here - USGA Article on snow cover