Snow mold damage occurs under deep snow cover and is encouraged by the higher humidity that the snow creates. At the end of a heavy snow year, the damage has already been done and, because the fungus won't spread, fungicides are unnecessary. In the spring, you may note some small black beads in the molds. These are reproductive structures that allow the fungus to survive through the summer until and if conditions are right again.

The application of fungicides as a preventive in the late fall/early winter is a questionable practice because turf usually recovers quickly from snow mold on its own if allowed to dry out. Light fertilization of snow mold spots in late March can be useful, along with overseeding if necessary. The best thing you can do now is rake the affected grass to get it to stand up and dry out.

Other preventive actions to take in fall:
- Apply nitrogen fertilizers at heaviest rate in late October (assuming you have bluegrass, fescue, or ryegrass).
- Do not apply heavy nitrogen in August or September, as this will promote excess growth.
- Mow bluegrass at 2.5 to 3.0 inches all season. You can mow shorter than 2.5 inches in early winter if desired and if the grass has turned brown.
- Core aerate in fall (October); repeat in spring (March-April) if the lawn is on heavy clay and/or receives lots of foot traffic. Leave cores on surface to decompose.
- Rake up and compost heavy layers of dropped leaves on lawns if at all possible,
- Avoid creating "Matterhorn" piles of shoveled snow onto turf.