Fig. 1. (a) Air temperature and snow cover (shaded area) at the Québec Jean-Lesage International airport. Vertical bars indicate measured values of snow cover at the Royal Québec experimental golf green. (b) Crown-level soil temperature in an unprotected control (CTL) and under winter protective covers: a commercial impermeable cover on top of either curled wood shavings mat (CW-CC), 15 cm of straw mulch (SM-CC) or a felt material (FM-CC), a clear polyethylene cover on top of a curled wood shavings mat (CW-PC) at the Royal Québec experimental golf green.