Caring for a Grave in Winter: Snow, Ice and Decorations

Winter is hard on cemeteries. Snow covers markers, ice builds up on headstones, and well-meant cleaning in the cold can do lasting damage. Here is how to care for a grave through the winter without hurting it.

Clearing snow

• Use a soft brush or broom, or your gloved hand, to sweep light snow off the headstone and the name.
• For a flat marker, push snow away gently. Do not dig at it with a shovel edge, which can chip bronze and stone.
• Leave thick, packed snow alone. It will melt; a damaged marker will not mend.

Never salt or scrape the stone

Rock salt and chemical de-icers can pit and discolor granite and do worse to marble. Do not use them on or near a headstone, and do not chip or scrape ice off the stone. Ice can take a sliver of stone with it.

Save cleaning for warmer days

The VA's guidance for government headstones is to clean only when the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The National Park Service adds: do not clean when a freeze is expected within 48 hours. Water left in the stone can freeze and crack it. Plan any real cleaning for spring; our guide to cleaning a headstone covers how.

Winter decorations

Many cemeteries have set windows for winter decorations and clear them on a fixed date:

• At Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, Christmas wreaths and grave blankets are allowed from December 1 through January 20.
• At Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, NJ, all decorations are cleared on January 15.

Ask your cemetery for its dates, and take home anything you want to keep before the clean-up. Our guide to grave blankets explains what they are.

Getting there safely

Cemetery roads are not always plowed quickly, and paths between graves can be icy. Call the office before a winter visit, wear boots with grip, and do not lean on headstones for balance. Older stones can be less stable than they look.

What holds up in winter

Fresh flowers freeze within a night. Evergreen wreaths, grave blankets and outdoor silk arrangements hold their look through snow, which is why winter is when silk makes the most sense. Our guide to winter flowers for a grave has ideas.