Now, I need some thoughts and opinions from people. I consistently have this one spot in my yard where the snow always melts first. In the Summer, grass dies in this same spot. But I can't figure out what might be causing it. So I took a picture and figured I'd throw it out there and see if anyone else has some thoughts. You'll see the big melted spot in the lower-left, while the rest of the yard still has a layer of snow.
I have considered gas line leak - that might explain the dying grass, but I don't think that accounts for melting snow. Besides I don't think the gas line runs exactly under that spot anyway. This picture was taken from the sidewalk, my back to the street, camera facing perpendicular to the street. I hope it's not too dark to see, but the red circle shows where the gas line enters the house.
I presume that the gas line would not run at a diagonal, but rather be a straight shot toward the street to allow for the shortest amount of gas line that would have to be laid. If that's so, then the center of the snow-melty-dead-grass spot is a couple of feet to the left of the gas line.
Heat would explain both melting snow and dead grass, but I can't think of anything that would be there that would generate heat. And I don't see such spots in any of my neighbors' yards.
So, anyone ever seen anything like this? Have any thoughts? Ideas? Speculations? Let me know!
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Update June 2007
So now that it's warm again, here's a photo of the dying grass in the same spot as the melty snow that I talked about last winter. Weird huh?
14 comments:
Well, I was going to say the melted area might be the only spot in your yard that gets direct sunlight throughout the entire day... but it seems like the grass just on the other side of the sidewalk would qualify as well, since there are no trees between the sidewalk and road. So, I'm not sure if I buy that theory.
Anyway, I'll have to keep thinking about it, but maybe you could get some thermometers and stick them in the ground at various spots to measure the temperature...
The case of the mysterious patch of grass in Gayle's yard.
Quick Google search, and they do actually make soil thermometers for about $10. Kinda looks like a meat thermometer (Mmmm...) Hmm. I guess for now I could at least go out there and see if the ground feels warmer than the ground around it.
Soil thermometers? That's awesome. Now you can actually cook your soil steaks "to order". I'd like mine medium rare. :-)
your dad said...
Maybe that's where your water & sewer line runs, and a connecting joint is there. When you use hot water from your shower, washer, kitchen sink, steam from the hot water may leak out there and cause just enough warmth to make the snow melt. But, hopefully, it's not a serious leak of some sort?
Haha, good thought Becca! It is a good thing that Levi usually likes to hang out in the back yard, and this evil cavern is in the front yard. *whew*
Hi Has anyone figured out why the snow is melting? I have been having the same problem, and would like to fix what ever is wrong.
We are having the exact same problem. Did you figure out the source to yours?
I did eventually figure this out. See this other post on my blog
Me too all of a sudden in a shaded area!
I was just looking this up aswell in the alleyway by my house there's 1 perfect circle where no snow is rest of alley is snow covered
I have watch the neighbors yard for years and there are two spots like that but one of them has a sink hole the other just melts snow...if there is rock just under the surface then it will hold heat even in the winter...ground heat here in Va. down about 18 inches is about 48 degrees and it will work its way up thru rock.....check out the ground heat in your area.Sometimes there is a underground spring too which is warmer than the surface water or snow....
I have the same problem. Dry brown grass in the summer. Same area melts snow in the winter.
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