Where should I place snow fencing on my New Brunswick property?

Snow fencing should be placed perpendicular to prevailing winter winds, positioned 30-50 feet upwind of the area you want to protect — typically your driveway, walkways, or vulnerable garden areas. In New Brunswick, prevailing winter winds generally come from the northwest, though coastal properties near the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of St. Lawrence may experience different dominant wind patterns that you should observe before installing fencing.

The key principle of snow fencing is that it doesn't block snow — it controls where snow accumulates. As wind hits the fence, it slows down and drops its snow load on the downwind (leeward) side, creating a drift in a predictable location rather than letting snow pile up wherever the wind happens to deposit it. A standard 4-foot snow fence creates a drift zone extending roughly 10-15 times the fence height downwind, which is why placement distance matters. If you install the fence too close to your driveway, the drift will form right on top of it, defeating the purpose.

For driveway protection, install snow fencing 35-50 feet upwind of the driveway edge. This places the drift zone between the fence and the driveway, leaving the driveway itself in the wind-scoured clear zone beyond the main drift. If you don't have 50 feet of space to work with, you can reduce the fence height to 3 feet and place it proportionally closer, though the snow-trapping capacity will be reduced.

For garden protection, the calculus is different. You may actually want to trap snow over garden beds, since a consistent snow cover insulates perennial roots from NB's extreme cold (ground frost reaches 1.2-1.5 metres without snow cover). Place short snow fencing just upwind of perennial beds to encourage snow to accumulate over them, creating a natural insulation blanket. This technique is especially valuable in NB's Zone 3b-4a northern areas around Bathurst and Campbellton where winter temperatures regularly drop below -30°C.

Installation is straightforward. Drive metal T-posts every 8 feet along the fence line, pounding them 18-24 inches into the ground before it freezes in October. Attach standard orange or green plastic snow fencing to the posts using zip ties or wire. The fence should be about 6 inches off the ground at the bottom — this gap actually improves performance by accelerating wind underneath and increasing the snow-trapping effect on the lee side. Stretch the fencing taut between posts to prevent sagging under its own snow load.

Snow fencing materials cost $40-80 for a 50-foot roll and $5-8 per T-post. A typical NB driveway protection setup requires 50-100 feet of fencing and costs $80-200 in materials. The labour savings in reduced snow shoveling and plowing often pay for the fence within the first season. Remove the fencing in late March or early April once the heaviest snowfall risk has passed, and store it rolled up in a dry location for reuse — quality snow fencing lasts 5-10 seasons.

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