Sometimes it's only a small segment of a road subject to drifting that causes miles of the road to be closed. Snow drifts jeopardize public safety and emergency services, interrupt businesses, and increase livestock and wildlife mortality. Snow fences are a proven technique for reducing the impact of blowing and drifting snow. These structural barriers, commonly made of slated or picket fences, are placed to interrupt blowing snow. With an action similar to a rock placed in a flowing stream, they cause an eddy effect that alters wind speed and direction, allowing snow to settle out.
Snowplows provide a fast, efficient way to keep roads open, but annual costs are often high.
When roads are subject to recurring snow blockage, a more permanent, cost-effective solution is desirable and often needed. Another kind of snow fence, made of living plant materials such as grasses, shrubs and trees, can be used to improve public safety and reduce road closures. Often called living snow fences, they are actually densely planted windbreaks that have been specifically designed and planted to reduce blowing and drifting snow. Like a structural barrier, they cause blowing snow to settle in a designated area. Living snow fences are more cost-effective than structural barriers and provide a wide array of benefits beyond snow control.