At a Glance

Snow typically melts faster and is heavy and wet rather than light and fluffy.Power outages are more likely during spring snowstorms.A late-season snowfall can have significant impacts on livestock and farming.

Snow during the spring tends to be different than in the heart of winter because the atmosphere is in a transitional state as cold air gradually gives way to warmer conditions with the change in season.

Because cold air is typically limited during a March, April or even May snowstorm, this has an effect on the snow that falls and also the impacts caused by that snow.

Here are a few examples.

(MORE: Here’s How Often It Snows in April)

1. Snow Often Melts Faster

The sun is much stronger in spring than winter. That makes it more difficult for snow to accumulate in the daytime because the sun's rays are still able to penetrate through the clouds.

In December or January, snow can pile up fairly quickly on untreated roads and sidewalks since the sun angle is at its lowest of the year. But in April, for example, the snow typically has to fall heavily in order to stick to paved surfaces because of the higher sun angle aiding in melting.

Once the sun comes out after a spring snowfall, melting occurs very quickly due to the strong sunshine and warmer temperatures, whereas a winter snowfall can stick around for days or weeks if cold air lingers.

(MORE: Caribou, Maine, Closing In on a Snow Record)

2. Snow Tends to Be Wetter, Heavier

Snow is usually light and fluffy when the air is very cold, as it is in January or February during an arctic outbreak. Sometimes, it's so light and fluffy that you can simply use a leaf blower to clear your driveway.

When it snows in March or April, however, temperatures are often closer to the freezing mark or even slightly above freezing. That causes the snow to be wetter and heavier because some melting of the snowflakes occurs due to the lack of cold air.

Large, fat snowflakes are commonly seen when temperatures are near or above freezing, as partially melted flakes may clump together as they fall. This type of snow is difficult to shovel due to its weight, so you usually won't have much luck with your leaf blower in the spring.

3. Power Outages Are More Likely Due to Budding Trees

Snow covers budding cherry blossom trees Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at the tidal basin in Washington, D.C., during a snowstorm on the second day of spring.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Because spring snowfall tends to be heavy and wet, it adds extra weight to any tree branches and power lines on which it accumulates.

Accumulation on tree branches can be more likely in the spring since trees are beginning to bud, providing a surface where the snow can stick.

The more snow that piles up on tree branches, the more weight and stress added to them, increasing the chance of the branches breaking off. If any of those branches fall onto power lines, power outages will result, and many could be left in the dark for hours or even a few days.

Power outages are also possible from the heavy, wet snow accumulating on the power lines themselves.

4. Livestock, Farming Concerns

One impact from spring snowfall that city dwellers may not have considered is the effects it has on livestock and farming.

Some farm animals grow thicker coats to keep warm during the winter but begin to shed that excess fur in the spring when temperatures warm up.

If a spring snowstorm follows a period of warmer weather, the livestock may struggle to stay warm because they no longer have their warm coats.

In addition, crops and other vegetation that were planted earlier in the spring could be threatened by the cold and snow. Any sensitive vegetation, like tomato plants or even flowers in your home garden, needs to be covered up prior to the snowfall because the growing season could be severely impacted if proper precautions are not taken.