Why does snow stick on the Grass first?

One of my students asked me why would grass or dirt start to accumulate snow first before other surfaces that have a lighter color. They said that the sidewalk is light gray and yet it has a harder time getting covered with snow than the darker colored soil and grass. Even black cars accumulate faster than pavement!

Well, I explained that even though color does play a role in how hot something gets, what the thing is made of plays an even bigger role when it comes to snow. A black car top will get covered way before a light colored sidewalk because the car top material won;t hold on to heat as well as pavement will. So even though the car is much darker, it will pile up faster because it's able to cool down faster than the cement. I love when kids ask about my favorite weather subject - snow!