What is snow for? Here are the benefits of fluffy flakes that are good on the ground, in the air and for you too
Snow is not just white flakes that transform everything into a white blanket. As much as it can create inconvenience in the city or be pure fun for young and old, its action is essential to nourish the soil and protect plants and crops. Not only that, but it cleans the air you breathe and… keeps you young!
It was not for nothing that our grandparents also said: “Bread under the snow, hungry under the water”.
The benefits for the earth
According to data from the Pre-Alpine Geophysical Center , snowfall has steadily decreased since the 1960s , so much so that the amount of snow deposited on the ground has even halved. And this is a problem, first of all for the earth itself.
In fact, the white flakes are nothing more than frozen water, which settles on the fields and melts slowly. In this way the soil can absorb this water resource little by little , preventing stagnation or rain that is too strong eroding the soil and sliding away without being served as nourishment. A quality that benefits especially sloping lands , which have a harder time retaining water.
The gradual but constant release of water also makes the earth softer and more welcoming for plants, flowers and crops.
But snow is also composed largely of air and this characteristic allows it to act as an insulator . You know the Eskimos who take shelter from the rush in the igloos? Here, the principle is the same. A sort of natural blanket that prevents frost from affecting the roots of plants and protects the most fragile crops such as peas, broad beans, garlic, onions and fennel.
The benefits for the air
First of all, you need to know that snow forms in the upper part of the earth’s atmosphere , when the temperature reaches 5 degrees below zero. Cold air causes the water vapor to solidify, passing from a gaseous state to a more solid one. When a jib reaches enough weight to cross the buoyancy of air, it falls.
For the snow to remain so and to settle on the ground, it is necessary that the atmosphere remains at a temperature close to zero and that the ground does not exceed two degrees . Each jib that stops on the ground is different from the other. And the reason is precisely linked to the benefits that snowfalls bring to the air you breathe.
As it falls, a flake is modified by the eroding force of the air, but also by the nitrogen and ammonia particles it absorbs as it crashes to the ground. In short, the substances that make up fine powders. That’s why you’ve always heard that snow cleans the air . And this is always the reason why, especially if you live in the city, you shouldn’t eat any flakes.
The health benefits
When it snows it’s cold, but it doesn’t freeze . In fact, the temperature must not drop beyond two degrees below zero, otherwise not even a flake will fall. For this reason, you can take advantage of all the benefits of the climate, without the consequences of contact with the freezing air.
To begin with, the cold invigorates. Yes, because it narrows the vessels and improves peripheral circulation . So if you suffer from varicose veins, phlebitis or lymphatic circulation disorders, a nice walk in the snow will undoubtedly alleviate your ailments. And at the same time it will help you to fight cellulite, but also to lose weight , because your body will burn more calories to maintain the usual core temperature.
Plus, it keeps you young. When the thermometer starts to mark single-digit degrees, your cells slow down their activity. Remember that some animals hibernate during these months. The decrease in work within your body also causes the aging process of tissues to decrease , keeping you young for longer.
Instead, you should avoid exposing yourself too much to the cold if you have problems with blood pressure, hypertension and if you have heart disease. In fact, its vasoconstrictive action could prove to be a potential danger for you.
In general, low temperatures kill viruses and bacteria and this is the reason why you will tend to get sick especially at the beginning and at the end of winter, when the degrees are not yet close to zero.
The only problem: the weight
A snowflake is very light, but many snowflakes joined together begin to be felt on the scale. The only drawback of snow is in fact its weight . So if you have installed greenhouses in your garden , I recommend that you make sure they are stable enough not to collapse on the first snowfall.
It is precisely because of its weight that when temperatures start to rise again, the risk of avalanches increases . So if you are in the mountains, always remember to pay close attention and do not stray from the trails and ski slopes already marked out.
But, beyond the few side effects, you will have to admit it: your son was right to burst with joy at the sight of the first flakes. Even though he had no idea why.
“Under the microscope, I discovered that snowflakes are a miracle of beauty ; and I went crazy at the idea that this beauty could not be appreciated by others. Each crystal is a unique geometric design and no shape is ever repeated. When a flake melts, this shape is lost forever. So much beauty disappeared, leaving no trace of it. ”
Wilson Bentley, 1925
