# Snow = spring question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 18, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892 "2000-03-18T17:44:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/1 "2000-03-18T17:44:00Z")
There’s an old farmer’s saying that goes something like “You know winter’s over when the snow sticks to the ----- side of the trees.”
North, south, east or west.
Can’t remember which one. Anyone else heard this? Maybe I should just go find an old farmer and ask.
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### Author:  [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/2 "2000-03-18T17:47:00Z")
out?
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### Author:  [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/3 "2000-03-18T17:51:00Z")
Well, spring snows do tend to be wetter and stickier.
As a matter of fact, it’s snowing here right now!
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### Author:  [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/4 "2000-03-18T20:46:00Z")
Don’t look at me, I’m only thirty.
I’m taking a guess and saying south.
Usually it snows from the west or north and occasionally the east in the case of a nor’easter. A wet snow would most likely come from the south with warm weather moving up from the gulf through the Appalachins. The signs of spring around here is when the jet stream is bringing warm air from the south.
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### Author:  [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/5 "2000-03-18T20:57:00Z")
From [The American Gardener November/December 1998 issue - Folk Predictions](http://www.ahs.org/publications/tag/981112/focus.htm)
“Other lore is harder to link to scientific processes, including the old belief that if the first snow sticks to the trees there will be a bountiful harvest.”
Hardly what you’re looking for but the closest I could find.
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### Author:  [@Angkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angkins)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/6 "2000-03-18T21:06:00Z")
The concencus here is south also. No proof for you though, unless you count the word of an old farmers son (my hubby). You can see the buds on the trees starting to swell…that’s a sure sign of spring!
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### Author:  [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/7 "2000-03-18T22:10:00Z")
Most of our weather fronts (Canada’s revenge!) blow in from west/north west. But as far as snow sticking…it snowed here today–just in time for the St. Pat’s parade–and it’s sticking on every exposed surface. Especially my toes and nose.
Wasn’t this bit of lore connected to moss somehow? Hey, I flunked the physical for Boy Scouts.
Veb
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### Author:  [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2000, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/8 "2000-03-19T01:34:00Z")
In my experience, the snow usually sticks to the side of the tree _opposite_ from the wind direction. So if the wind is blowing from the south, the snow would stick on the north side.
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### Author:  [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-spring-question/14892/9 "2000-03-19T02:02:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by smug:
> **out?**
Just wanted you to know I got a good laugh out of that. 🙂
Zette
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