Winter Burial Tips

Many New Hampshire municipal cemeteries have bylaws that restrict winter burial from as early as October. In contrast, three midwestern states with weather patterns similar to NH’s legally require that cemeteries remain open year-round. Depending on snow load and frost depth, keeping cemeteries open during the winter months will employ different methods and take varied amounts of preparation time.
 
Locating Corners: Locating the outer corners of the grave in conventional cemeteries is best managed with GPS. Many cemeteries are investing in technology for record keeping reasons, costing a wide range of prices; accurate pinning is a key reason for making  the investment.
 
Snow Removal: Snow must be removed from on and around the grave area. This is best done by hand or snowblower.
 
Frost Thawing: Once cleared of snow the frost must be thawed. Some cemetery workers use wood fires burned down to coals, then moved back and forth. Grave warmers are more efficient, requiring a hood specifically designed for this purpose that remains in place for as long as it takes. Some are propane powered, speeding up the process. Solar blankets have been known to work well in sunny weather.
 
Digging: Once snow is removed and the ground is thawed, hand digging is routine. The use of heavy or light machinery is likely to be hampered in areas where too much snow makes it difficult to access, but they work fine in cemeteries that have to deal with frost alone.
 
Body Storage: Bodies can be stored for months in cool locations, including hospital morgues and funeral homes with refrigeration units, but there are often exorbitant costs involved. A simple solution to storage is to go back to using an onsite receiving vault (mausoleum, outbuilding, or shed) that took the place of barns or outbuildings on a bier historically. Several people recently have reported satisfactory results, allowing people to be buried naturally in winter without embalming and at little expense.
 
Legal Concerns: None of the practices described above are in violation of any state law. Liability is handled in the same way other protections for publicly accessed municipal cemeteries are. Standards of Operation for cemetery employees may be updated to include policies and procedures to ensure winter burial safety.
 
Keeping the Public Informed: Cemeteries with natural burial options often publish and distribute the rules and regulations. A flyer or pamphlet that answers questions such as availability of winter burial and other expectations can be handed out when purchases are made, shared with funeral directors for distribution, and made available in the Town Hall.