In many cool season grass species in North America, it is caused by the fungus Microdochium nivale .

[2] Fusarium patch is considered economically important in the turf grass industry because of its tendency to cause significant injury to golf greens, thereby decreasing putting surface quality.

[4] Annual bluegrass (Poa annua), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) are more susceptible.

In the fall, M.nivale infection begins as small, orange to red-brown spots, circular and only a few centimeters in diameter.

During the winter and into the spring seasons, well-defined, clustered, circular patches 10–20 cm in diameter, of necrotic leaf tissues form on mown turf.

[6] Pink snow mold patches usually follow drainage patterns since conidia spores are readily dislodged and transported by rainfall and water flowage.

When cool, wet weather arrives in the fall or winter the mycelium grows from thatch or soil and infects leaves.

Wind and surface water will help aid in the spread of this disease as it will allow for the spores to contact near by healthy plant.

[10] Microdochium nivale becomes problematic when turf experiences lengthy periods of cool, wet weather typical of fall or spring and into early summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Avoiding excess fall nitrogen application will greatly reduce disease pressure of Microdochium nivale.

They include, but are not limited to the methyl benzimidazole carbamates (MBCs) such as thiophanate methyl, the dicarboximides such as iprodione and vinclozolin, the DMIs such as fenarimol and propiconazole, the QoIs such as azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, and trifloxystrobin, the phenylpyrroles such as fludioxonil, certain aromatic hydrocarbons such as PCNB, and the cholronitriles such as chlorothalonil.

A combination of a dicarboximides such as iprodione, a chloronitrile such as chlorothalonil, and a DMI such as propiconazole will give sufficient control over the span of an average winter.