I brushed a mere dusting of snow off the car when I left that parking lot south of here. Suddenly it was coming down real hard and blowing right straight into the windshield, getting harder to see the road.

Lowering the sun visor seemed to help a little. Should've wiped clean the headlights before I left. Too late now. I think I'm still on the road, hard to tell though, I might be edging into that cornfield. No pull-off plowed out yet to let me pull over. Not sure I would anyway.

That character is following so close he'd probably plow into me if I stopped. Guess my tail lights are his security blanket or something. Holy smokes, buddy! Back off a little!

Keeping winter roads open: expensive
White-knuckled driving. If you've lived in New Hampshire for any time at all, you've experienced it. It's a common occurrence in all northern parts of the U.S., particularly those flat open regions of the West and Midwest. Staying on top of wind-blown, drifting snow is a constant chore for plow drivers, and snow removal costs can run pretty high.

A while back a county in Idaho kept track of what it cost to keep open a two-mile stretch of road. It ran upwards of $20,000; that was back in the 1990s, with lower fuel and other expenses than today. Their solution, with an eye towards both lower expenditures and improved driving conditions, was to plant a "living snow fence" the next spring.

Utility of living windbreaks
Call them what you like: windbreaks, shelter-belts, living snow fences, these plantings are popular in many parts of the country. Done right, they're more than just a haphazard line of shrubs and trees. In a properly constructed windbreak, careful bio-engineering considers design, location and plant species selection to achieve the intended results.

Like a structural barrier, a windbreak works by slowing down wind speed, causing the snow to settle out of the air into a designated area away from buildings and roadways. Long-lived plant barriers also offer a lot of other benefits. I think they have a place on many farms and rural homesteads.

Wind makes it worse
Wind exaggerates normal weather conditions, making everything a good bit harder to do. A glance at wind-chill charts illustrates that pretty well. Air temperature zero degrees? Add a 20mph wind to that and it's now 39 below. Add snow and you've got a double whammy.

Dense, multiple-row windbreaks can pile up snow where you want it. Somewhat like a sheltered deer yard. Lower-density field breaks can be used to uniformly spread snow over a larger area.

Grow your own
The materials for constructing these are easy to obtain (see article on State Forest Nursery) and could already be growing on your property. Besides buffering winds, these living screens can screen and soundproof unattractive or noisy areas, improve wildlife habitat, possibly even add extra income from agro-forestry products.

Learn more about windbreaks

by Steve Turaj, Extension educator, Coos County