You might be tempted to let the leaves lay where they fall and doing so will be good for your lawn thereby giving the grass added nutrients through the winter as the leaves break down and decompose. However, letting leaves cover your lawn traps moisture and blocks out the sunlight which runs counterproductive to any benefits your lawn would get from the leaves. It’s best to get to lawn leaf removal before the winter sets in as rotten leaves are much harder to gather than freshly fallen ones.