Our driveway runs mostly north to south, with a bend that angles southwest. For instance, our winds come mostly out of the west and north. Snow Fence should be installed upwind of the area that you want to keep clear. The open weave of a snow fence slows down the snow and redirects drifting. In some areas, farmers purposely stack the drifts so they melt and flow into a water basin in spring. Other areas had cleared, but the drift was still intact. The photo was taken in late winter after the snow had started to melt. You can see in the top photo of the post how a sizable drift had formed downwind of the fence last winter. The exact spot where the snow will pile will vary with the height of the fence, how much air can get through the fence, the wind-speed and other factors.
The fence creates a pressure differential that causes the air to drop the snow in the lower pressure just behind the fence. A snow fence can significantly reduce the need for plowing, and keep roadways safer by reducing blowing and drifting onto the road. Instead, it redirects where the snow drift forms.Ī properly installed snow fence slows down the wind, causing a drift to pile up on the downwind side of the fence – instead of in your driveway or road. How Does a Snow Fence Work?įirst off, remember that the goal of a snow fence is not to stop snow completely. This could be a slat wood snow fence, green plastic fence like the one in the photos, or a line of bushes or trees. What is a Snow Fence?Īnything that blocks the wind enough to cause the snow to pile away from the road or area you are trying to protect. In this post I'll discuss why and how snow fence is used, so you can decide if you'd like to use it for your home. Unlike my brother, Rich, we can't plant trees parallel to it along the whole length, because part of the land upwind from it belongs to our neighbor.Īfter spending many days during the winter of 2013-2014 stuck at home because the driveway drifted shut almost as soon as it was plowed ( see the driveway in the post, ‘ The Long Winter“), we decided to put up a snow fence. Like grandma, we have a long, narrow driveway. We planted windbreak trees as soon as we moved here, but they'll take a while to grow. This now protects the driveway (even better than the fence). When my brother bought grandma's place, he planted a treeline where the snow-fence had been. Grandma had a fairly long, thin driveway, and without the snow fence, I'm sure it would have been blown shut more often than not. Something else I remember from winters past was grandma's snow fence.
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