Snow in Edmonson County on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.(Ryan Van Velzer / KPR )Many Louisvillians rejoiced this week as the piles of ice and snow finally started to recede after weeks of snowy roads, canceled school and general frosty conditions.But under that melt could linger something not so fresh: sn ow mold.LPM’s Bill Burton learns about the frigid fungi with WAVE 3 meteorologist Tawana Andrew in the latest edition of Science Behind the Forecast.This transcript was edited for clarity and brevity.Bill Burton: It's time for us to take a look at the Science Behind the Forecast as I'm joined by WAVE 3 meteorologist Tawana Andrew. Good morning, Tawana.Tawana Andrew: Good morning. Today, we're talking about something that may have been hiding underneath all of that snow we had on the ground for a while.BB: As if the snow wasn't bad enough, there is something that I just learned about minutes ago, thanks to you, called snow mold. Tell us about it.TA: Well, first off, apparently it does not like me because it's been trying to take me out.BB: Then clearly, it's a terrible thing and it needs to go. Anything who doesn't like you just has to go.TA: It really is not fun. Snow mold is a cold weather fungus that becomes more noticeable as our temperatures start to warm up. Some signs of snow mold are straw colored, circular patches in a lawn or grass that are either several inches or even several feet across. The grass in this area may be a bit matted with a grayish white or a whitish pink type of hue. Keep that in mind.Snow mold develops underneath the snow cover and becomes a significant issue when there is substantial snowfall before the ground is able to fully freeze. For us, I went back and I looked at the data, and our soil temperatures were ranging in between 34 and 38 degrees before we got that massive snowfall at the end of January. That put us right there in that perfect category.The snow ends up shielding the grass from the cold and the wind, while also keeping the ground pretty saturated and warmer. Experts say that two to four inches of snow, which is what we saw on the ground in a lot of spots, or even higher than that, can keep soil temperatures about 30 to 35 degrees warmer compared to exposed bare ground.BB: Perfect breeding ground, exactly.TA: And guess what kind of grass is very susceptible to snow mold?BB: Tell me.TA: Kentucky bluegrass. Surprise, surprise. Kentucky bluegrass, bent grass, fescues, perennial rye grasses, are all susceptible to that snow mold. Once the snow begins to melt, allergies can start to increase, because that residual moisture creates the absolute perfect environment for mold to grow. That mold can trigger allergies with symptoms like a runny nose, congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, and even in some cases, when it gets really bad, mild rashes. That's definitely not fun.Keep in mind that it takes a while for snow mold to disappear, especially if it's not in direct sunlight, because snow mold can typically disappear once the ground temperature climbs to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It's just something to keep an eye out for yourself and for your pets. It's not good for the two legged friends or the four legged ones. If you're feeling a little funky recently, snow mold might be why. ...read more read less