How to Get Rid of Snow Mold Safely

As the snow melts away every spring, your lovely lawn is vulnerable to an unsightly fungus.

photowind/Shutterstock

You’ve heard the old saying April showers bring May flowers, right? Well, they also bring snow mold! As the snow melts every spring, your lovely lawn is vulnerable to an unsightly fungus. This is especially common if you live in an area with heavy snowfall and your lawn is a cool-season grass like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, or fine or tall fescue. Learning everything you need to know about snow mold will help you spot and address it this spring, or prevent it next year.

Want a perfect lawn? Then follow these top 10 tips.

What is Snow Mold?

Snow mold is a fungal lawn disease that occurs in the spring after the snow melts. It comes in two forms: pink fungus (potentially more damaging) and gray fungus.

It most commonly occurs if the first large snow falls on ground that hasn’t yet frozen. This creates a perfect blanket between grass and snow for fungus to grow from the spores that lay dormant throughout the rest of the season. This can be especially damaging if that area between snow and ground stays around the same temperature for a long time. That’s the ideal snow mold breeding ground.

Snow mold can cause small patches of grass to die, and its fungal qualities may set off allergies for some people.

Signs You May Have Snow Mold

It’s easy to spot snow mold. Look for small, straw-colored patches of grass with a cobweb-like goo on them; this is the fungus. The color tells you what kind: pink (pink, white, or tan) or gray (white or gray).

Another indicator is the sudden return of your allergy symptoms. If allergies are a constant irritant for you indoors, try one of these 10 ways to make them less bothersome.

If weeds are the issue instead of snow mold, here’s how to restore a weedy, patchy lawn.

How to Treat Snow Mold

The good news: Snow mold usually takes care of itself because it dies as temperatures increase. Gray mold dies at about 45 degrees F, and pink mold at about 60 degrees F. And the effects of snow mold aren’t particularly extreme.

If you want to get rid of it faster:

Mow the lawn as usual because tall grass is a great breeding ground for mold.
Gently rake over straw-colored circles to dry out the area faster.
Delay putting chemicals on the lawn because they aren’t necessary if the grass heals itself.

Be sure you have all the lawn products you need this spring.

How to Prevent Snow Mold

In some ways this one is out of your hands because it depends on what you can’t control: the weather. However, there are some lawn fungicides you can apply in late fall. Also, take pristine care of your lawn before the first snowfall by clearing all debris and cutting the grass short. Be sure to follow these additional tips for keeping your lawn healthy through winter.

Popular Videos

Hannah Louise

I help people tell stories, whether that's about themselves, their company, or their product. Every project I take on has one priority: make sure the audience connects with the content. I've fine-tuned this skill over the past decade by creating content for audiences from C-suites to new hires in organizations large and small. I launched my career as a generational keynote speaker (think dispelling myths about Millennials/Xers/Boomers) and worked my way to being a principal of a consulting firm and published author by writing, presenting, and editing books, blogs, white papers, and research analysis. I bring my values of collaboration, humility, and research-driven strategies to everything I do. I'm also a cat owner, coffee enthusiast, and new home owner (you know, your stereotypical Millennial traits.)

Our latest shed is also a pavilion—and you can build it, too!