This plant pathogen destroys cool season turfgrasses grown in areas with extended periods of snowcover.

[1]  Signs of the pathogen can be observed in the spring as circular grayish-brown patches, about 15 cm in diameter, of mycelium.

Young sclerotia of T. incarnata start out whitish-pink in color and eventually mature into hard reddish-brown spheres about 5 mm in diameter.

The mycelium eventually spreads, produces infection cushions, and penetrates plant tissue.

[5] Typhula incarnata develops when a prolonged snow cover (around 60 days) sits on an unfrozen ground where soil temperatures are above freezing (-1˗ 4.4 °C).

This weakened immune response, along with little competition from other microorganisms, gives snow molds the perfect opportunity to infect their host.

T. incarnata, and other species of gray snow molds, survive the winter by producing extracellular antifreeze proteins.

Despite the large amount of money used to prevent this disease, many times T. incarnata, and other species of snow molds, will develop, especially after harsh or variable winter conditions.