Lisa Gerontis, age 8, Of Hendersonville, Tem., for her question:

Is snow good for anything?

Goodness, yes. The wintery blankets of snow are good for animals and for next year's seeds sleeping in the ground. The puffy white blankets feel cold when you touch them. But they really keep out the frost and the ground would be much colder without them.

The soil also needs moisture and snow is frozen moisture. True, a wintery layer of snow does not give much liquid moisture to the ground. But it stores a lot of moisture and when spring cues. It melts. Then the wintery snowfalls become streams and rivers of running water. Moisture sinks into the ground and fills the reservoirs. In many places, the snow brings the water for the summer crops and enough water to last the thirsty people until next year.