Though most cool season grass can survive the cold, ice, and snow of a winter season, a lawn can still suffer when the weather turns bad. Unfortunately, there’s little homeowners can do to prevent these conditions, but they’re still good to be aware of.
• Ice that persists on a lawn for longer than 30 days can harm the grass beneath. This ice can be the result of snow thawing then refreezing.
• Snow may be cold, but it can also provide effective insulation to grass beneath it. This can lead to gray or pink snow mold growing on the grass.
• Wind and cold can kill off bare, dormant grass. Walking on this grass can exacerbate the situation.
The best thing to do is make sure the grass has hardened off, you’ve “put the lawn to bed” properly, monitor the weather, and deal with conditions as they occur.