Conclusion Blowing snow continues to be a problem in rural areas and on state and county roads. Structural and living tree and shrub barriers are being used in many states to reduce plowing operations. Snow fences reduce drifting on small segments of roadways which allows miles of roads to remain open. Key elements of living snow fence design are height, density and length. Height defines the downwind distance protected when combined with density.
Density determines the upwind and downwind distance snow drifts are cast.
Barrier length must be sufficient to provide protection to an area with wind deviations of 25 degrees in either direction. Other benefits, including wildlife habitat and water harvesting, can be derived from properly designed living snow fences. The ratio of solid area to total frontal area of the barrier. It is caused by generation of turbulent eddies at the barrier boundary and increases down wind from the barrier. Sometimes referred to as capacity.