Agree. There is also the fact that even in freezing temps, conduction through the foundation wall will prevent a small depth from completely freezing, allowing water to soak in at the foundation wall. It may only be 1/8" along the depth of the wall, but that is more than enough for water to soak down. I deal with this problem every Spring when the snow melts.
I agree Jeff, that is what I mentioned earlier, and the only way to stop water in freezing weather is a swale to divert it away from the foundation.
French Drains will not stop runoffs. They only control saturated grounds.
