Burying a Loved One Can Happen Any Time of the Year, so here are Some Considerations for Colder Months

Funeral homes in Clarksburg, MD, are local experts when it’s time to lay a loved one to rest In a meaningful way. And if the individual passes away in the wintertime and you live in a colder climate, you might be concerned about whether you can have a traditional burial. So, we have created this article to help give you some insight into the process and how it is completed in colder months.

Can You Bury a Loved One in the Winter?

Due to advanced technology, burying people in the wintertime is possible, but this wasn’t always the case. In most situations, individuals only had a shovel, and the family would have to wait until spring to complete the process. The deceased were placed into a receiving vault designed to hold bodies for extended periods.

Fortunately, now families don’t have to wait to bury their loved ones until the weather gets warmer due to machinery and alternative burial options. But depending on the environment, If the weather is too erratic, it can potentially delay the experience for a short period.

What is Used to Help this Process?

Wintertime burials or common practice now, and almost all mortuaries and funeral homes have equipment that can make it possible to refrigerate the deceased for extended periods. If the family wants to wait until springtime to have the service, the body can be placed in a mausoleum as a temporary holding space.

Four specific pieces of equipment are used for burials in cold months, including:

Thawer

This option is one of the more recent inventions; it is used to heat the ground with a torch to make it softer to dig in.

Backhoe

The backhoe will technically be attached to a digging crane; they can break through the frozen ground much more quickly than other methods.

Jackhammer

The jackhammer is the most common option, and it’s used to break through the upper layers of the frost. However, it can take longer to dig the grave, but it can be more affordable and effective than other solutions.

Heater

Heaters are used to melt the frozen ground, and either be electric or charcoal run.

Are there Graveside Burials During Winter?

In most cases, a family can’t choose to have the graveside services even in the winter, but the weather will affect this. Some cemeteries can make accommodations for this situation; they may have plowing services available to create safer access to the plot site. And in some cases, the families may choose to have an alternative service and hold the event at a different location.

We Offer Exceptional Care and Services

As you can see, if your loved one does pass away in the wintertime, it is possible to have a traditional burial, and the weather will be contingent on the surfaces. And if you’re looking at funeral homes in Clarksburg, MD, we have you covered with compassionate care. We have been in business since the early 1900s and have provided services for our community based on care and commitment to quality, so contact us today when planning in making arrangements.