Have you seen temporary fences installed on yards and in front of buildings in winter and wondered what they are and what they do?
They’re known as snow fences and have a few specific purposes and are typically installed in areas that expect large snowfalls during winter. They are popular in northern climates where heavy snowfall occurs.
A snow fence is typically made of wood or plastic and is a temporary structure installed before the first snowfall. It prevents snow from blowing and accumulating in certain areas such as roads, sidewalks and along building entrances and walls. It can also restrict access so people don’t get stuck walking in deep snow.
While you often see snow fences built around schools, ski resorts and commercial buildings, you might also use one on your personal property should the need arise. Below, we’ll answer a number of questions related to snow fences, how they’re made and why you might consider one yourself.
What is a snow fence?
A snow fence is one that is temporarily set up before the first snowfall of winter hits. The purpose of a snow fence is to guide snow to either accumulate in one area or conversely, to avoid accumulating elsewhere.
The fence reduces the wind speed which causes most snow to fall behind the fencing. The settled snow will freeze and build a snowdrift so that future snow can accumulate behind it.
Looking at it another way:
A snow fence can be used to prevent snowfall from accumulating against a building entrance like a school or office to prevent doors from being blocked during heavy snow storms with strong wind.
It can also be used to prevent snow from blowing onto sidewalks and roads which can impair walking and driving respectively.
During periods of heavy snowfall and wind, large amounts of snow can pile up against buildings and doors rendering them unusable. It can also create a safety hazard if people – particularly kids – try to walk in deep snow that has piled due to wind.
A snow fence helps to prevent snow from accumulating in some areas while also directing it to other areas of your choice.
Snow fencing are built perpendicular to the expected wind to trap the most amount of snow.
Why would I need a snow fence?
Property owners in rural areas can particularly benefit from a snow fence. You can also benefit if you have a property that is designed in such a way that you would like to accumulate snow away from your vehicle(s), house or other parts of your property i.e. long driveway, laneway, sidewalk, etc.
Commercial buildings like schools and office towers surrounded by open areas like grass use snow fences to prevent accumulation near the building entrances, doors and windows.
They might also be used in parking lots particularly long drives with open areas on each side where wind can blow large amounts of snow across roads, making it dangerous to drive.
A regular home owner in a residential area probably won’t need one but if you’re in the country or have a property as described above, it could be something to consider. This is particularly true if you regularly have people coming on your property, run a home business, get frequent deliveries or would otherwise benefit from having snow directed in one area of your property and avoided in others.
Rural home owners and farmers also use snow fences since they may not have the same access to the same level of snowplowing and clearing that city homeowners do.
What does a snow fence actually do?
A snow fence can perform several important functions:
Snow fences reduce wind speed
A snow fence allows air to flow through holes so that the fence doesn’t get ripped out of the ground or otherwise damaged. But it slows down wind speed enough to prevent large amounts of blowing snow from getting past it.
If you place a snow fence near a roadway, it can help to minimize snow that could otherwise blow onto a sidewalk or road which can make walking and driving dangerous. This would also necessitate more shoveling or snow plowing.
Snow fences force snow to pile up in an area of your choice
Blowing snow can easily wreak havoc during heavy winds. A snow fence can prevent snow from drifting to an undesirable area such as across a lawn or road or to another area where you’d like to avoid a large snow pile up such as against your house particularly if you live on a large lot.
By placing a snow fence near the bottom of unfenced areas on your property you can prevent snow from drifting too close to your house and instead direct it somewhere that suits you better perhaps for easier disposal.
Snow fences prevent foot traffic
Snow fences prevent people from walking where they shouldn’t during periods of heavy snow. Snow banks can be dangerous particularly for kids so by placing snow fences across long stretches of land, it prevents people from attempting to walk through a potentially dangerous area if the snow is particularly deep.
Schools often use snow fences to prevent snow from drifting up against the school walls but it can also prevent kids from cutting across lawns and getting stuck in deep snow that has accumulated on the lawn.
Why do snow fences have holes in them rather than being solid?
Research has shown that the best snow fence designs are about 50% solid and 50% openings. The design enables snow to accumulate by slowing the wind speed down without damaging the fence.
Fencing made from wood, plastic and other substances are generally built with some sort of gap to allow air flow. While a concrete wall/fence or permanent wood fence in your backyard are strong enough to withstand heavy winds and everything Mother Nature throws at it, a snow fence isn’t permanent and therefore isn’t as solid.
By designing a snow fence with holes or gaps, wind can pass through to protect the fence from damage. It’s less likely that the fence will tear out of the ground or be pushed over if wind can pass through it.
But it’s also designed in a way that will prevent most snow from being able to pass through.
What is a snow fence made from?
Snow fences are typically made from two main materials – wood or plastic – although metal snow fences also exist.
Wood snow fence
Wooden snow fences like the one below are the old standby normally used by schools and other institutions and businesses around open areas. The pickets are made from wood and they held together in a row with metal wire. Larger metal staked are put into the ground every few feet to hold the fence in place and give it some structure.
The fence design is such that wind can pass through the gaps so that the fence isn’t damaged or gets pulled out of the ground during heavy winds but is also built in such a way that will prevent large amounts of snow from passing through.
Plastic snow fences
Plastic snow fences are the lightest of the three and don’t require metal fastenings unlike wood pickets. You also use metal stakes in the ground but since plastic fences have large holes, you can thread the plastic fencing on the stakes similar to putting a curtain on a rod.
The design of the plastic snow fence means you can cut down on labor since no ties are required. The plastic is also lighter than wood and easier to store. You don’t have to worry about wood pickets snapping or cracking either.
Metal snow fences
Metal snow fences can be both temporary structures that can be moved around as needed – often used by ski resorts – or permanent ones such as the pic below, used on a metal roof.
This roof style below is used to collect snow and ice and to prevent it from sliding off in large amounts as it accumulates or melts, which could be dangerous if ice falls and hits someone below.
Snow fence summary by building material
| Wood snow fence | Plastic snow fence | Metal snow fence | |
| Design | Wood pickets tied together with metal. The entire fencing system is held in place with metal spikes pushed deep into the ground for support. The pickets are then attached with ties to the stakes. | Plastic design with large round holes (typically). The plastic is held in place with metal stakes similar to wood picket fences. The plastic is lighter than wood. | Metal snow fences tend to be more permanent than the other two options. They are often used on a roof to prevent snow and ice from quickly falling off. In this regard, they are long rows of metal that are attached horizontally near the bottom of the roof. Temporary metal snow fences are also built to be used on the ground, to be moved around as needed. |
| Cost | In the middle in terms of cost. | Least expensive. | Most expensive. |
| Pros | Tends to look good and is traditionally the most commonly built snow fence, for a reason. Heavier and sturdier than plastic. | Easiest option to install. Lightest material of the three. | The sturdiest and most stable material of the three. Longest lasting when installed correctly, too. |
| Cons | Wood can snap or splinter over time. | Least sturdy of the three types of fences. | The most expensive option and one that tends to require maintenance particularly against rust. |
| Uses | Often used in schools and in many other applications to cover large, open spaces. | Ski resorts often use plastic snow fences given that they have large open spaces to cover and want to minimize the work and cost to install them. | Versions of metal snow fences are often used on building roofs for snow retention and to help snow and ice melt slowly rather than sliding off in large piles. |
Tips to set up a snow fence on the ground
While a metal root snow fence is probably something best professionally installed, a wood or plastic snow fence is something a regular person can install with the right materials and some elbow grease.
Here are important tips when setting up a wood or plastic snow fence.
- Choose the material that best suits your needs and budget.
- Plan to set up the fence perpendicular to the prevailing wind in the area to trap the most snow.
- Install your fence long before the first frost and before the first snowfall to get the best use of it. The fall is the best time for installation.
- Install fencing as much as 20x the height of the fence beyond each end of the area you are protecting to account for wind variation. So a typical 4′ high fence would extend 80′ on each end past the area you’re protecting.
- Install the posts 1/3 in the ground and no more than 8′ apart. This will give the fence enough structure and strength. So a 6′ high post should be installed at least 2′ in the ground, maybe as much as 2.5′, for heavily snowed areas.
- Aim to install your snow fence 6″ off the ground. Not only does this extend the height of your fence by half a foot higher, it also ensure that the fence is high enough off the ground to not get buried or start sagging by the weight of the snow.
- Snow drifts can spread as much as 35x the height of the fence. So a 4′ high fence means a snow drift could spread as much as 140′ away. Remember this when installing a fence near a road.
Snow fence tips and final thoughts
Regardless of the material, snow fences should be installed perpendicular to the prevailing wind.
The best snow fences are built long and extend past the area that you are trying to protect. Otherwise when built too short, blowing wind will still get around the unfenced area and defeat the purpose of the fence in the first place.
A 6″ gap is recommended between the ground and bottom of the fence so that the fence can trap the most snow possible.
You can also build permanent snow fences by planting evergreens, conifers and shrubs and then adding snow fences on either side as required. Large trees and shrubs can act as partial snow fences by blocking the wind and thus snow movement with their size and girth.
If you’re going to install a snow fence, ensure you do it early enough before the first snowfall and before the ground starts to get hard which will make it more difficult to hammer stakes in the ground.