A fresh, early snowfall on a forest road is pretty, but soon it begins to melt because the ground is still warm.
First to go is the snow where tires go. But what about those little mounds of snow in the middle of the road? Why are they left behind after all the other snow has melted?
What keeps each little hump of snow from melting too? Let’s brush away some snow to see if there’s something there…
Why yes!…a leaf! Under each little mound of snow is a leaf or even just a bit of a leaf. It insulates the snow from the warm ground underneath so it doesn’t melt as fast as the snow on the ground.
Even the stem of a leaf or a blade of grass will do this.
And they make funny shapes.
If you’re lucky you might find a snow critter with head, legs, and tail – like this one!
