(Russian snegovanie), a Russian folk method of preserving vegetables in piles (clamps) of snow. The method has long been used in the central regions of the European USSR. The vegetables are put into clamps in February and March during periods of thaw when the temperature of the outside air is no lower than - 1°C. Vegetables taken from a storehouse are placed on packed snow in an open area or a cold room. Heads of cabbage are arranged in rows several layers deep, with each layer covered by snow. Before being covered with the final layer of snow, carrots and onions are packed in solid boxes, and potatoes and beets are put in stacks 1-2 m wide and covered with straw or bast matting first and then with a polyethylene film or kraft paper. A layer of snow 0.5–1 m thick is placed on top of the vegetables and insulated from the outside air with sawdust or other material 0.4-0.6 m thick, thus preventing thawing.
The condition of the vegetables is monitored by measuring the temperature in the clamps and by making test examinations. Snow clamping can preserve vegetables until the following harvest.