a small leaf pile will destroy the grass underneath it quickly, but an even thicker snow pile that lasts for months throughout the winter seems to have no effect. Why?

Question

Editing just to say thanks to everyone who has contributed. The responses make perfect sense!

In: Biology

Answer 1

The grass underneath dies from lack of sun.

Snow is mostly air and very light permeable.

I had a tabletennis table on my lawn one whole summer and all the grass in the shadow underneath was completely gone, while the one we were trampling while playing was doing fine.