The good, it is a very good insulation
for ground pipes, any shallow rooted plants,
and it protects the lawn if the weather gets
 too cold, plus it protects potted plants if
covered in snow.

The bad, like last March, it breaks huge
branches if the snow accumulates on tree
branches;  it can wreaks havoc on arborvitae
bushes, which need to be tied loosely with
 rope to keep the branches from breaking
or bending way down.