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A wall or a snow fence

Andrew Pighills, a DSWA-GB certified waller in CT, was recently over in England during the major snow storm there,  and sent us these great photos of how a wall can act like a snow fence in windy conditions.  In these conditions walls can provide shelter to sheep, but it can also become a death trap if the snow builds up too quickly.

When the snow is falling and the prevailing winds are constant, the snow is first scoured from the land and then blown against any object in its path, in this case a dry stone wall.
The wall not only creates a barrier, but also shelter on the leeward side, where the decrease in wind pressure allows the snow to settle and accumulate in even greater amounts than on the windward side of the wall.
Sheep will also seek shelter behind the wall from the wind and snow, or as this photo clearly shows where the sheep sheltered behind the snow drifts the night after the snowstorm.
Unfortunately, if the snow drifts become too deep, the sheep can become trapped beneath the snow and suffocate.