A number of years ago I did an experiment where I needed to monitor
specific weather parameters at a site over the winter. I was trying to
determine if insect pathogenic fungal resting spores could survive our
winters in upstate NY.  Basically I had weather stations at each
location recording air temp, soil temp/soil moisture at 6 inches, wind
speed, direction, and a temperature probe on the ground.  Weekly,  I
would collect the data as well as measure snow depth.

The interesting part of this was that the temperature under the snow
remained at 32 degrees regardless of air temperature.  One soil surface
probe became exposed and was then subject to the whims of air temp, all
other sub snow probes at the soil interface were amazingly constant,
whether the day warmed up or the night got very cold.

It is no wonder that igloo's are a great place to live if you have no
other building materials!

Mike Griggs
Entomologist/ Support Scientist
Plant Protection Research Unit
USDA ARS, U.S. Plant, Soil & Nutrition Lab.
Tower Road, Ithaca, NY  14853
http://www.ppru.cornell.edu/PPRU.htm

phone:  607-255-1085
fax:        607-255-1132
email:    [log in to unmask]

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::