This is one happy farmer. A possible 24 inches of snow predicted for Boston and New England this weekend? Hooray! We aren’t even big fans of skiing and we’re thrilled. Why? Cold, windy, dry winters are harsh on the soil. They dry the soil, making the spring rains especially important. Even with the spring rains, there is a limit to how quickly the soil can absorb water. Too much rain at once causes run off.

However, a thick snow pack will slowly melt from the bottom up from Earth’s heat. As it does, the water slowly seeps into the ground, giving us nice, deep moisture in the spring. It is not uncommon for plants to have roots 2’ – 6’ deep, so plants will drink from that reservoir for much of the spring and early summer.

And one more reason to love 24 inches of snow? As of this writing, this farmer is sipping fresh lime sodas under a palm tree on the beach of the Arabian Sea.

Photo credit: jaroslavd / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND