Prevent Branch Breakage from Snow and Ice

How to Prevent Branch Breakage from Snow and Ice: An Arborist’s Guide

Winter transforms our landscapes into stunning, snow-covered wonderlands, but for the trees on your property, it’s the most demanding season of the year. As arborists, we see firsthand how the weight of a single heavy snowfall or a coating of “glaze” ice can turn a majestic canopy into a hazardous mess of snapped limbs and damaged property.

Repairing a tree after a structural failure is often more expensive—and less effective—than preventing the damage in the first place. Here is what you need to know about protecting your trees from winter’s heavy hand.

Why Do Branches Break? Understanding the Stressors

It isn’t just “bad luck” when a branch snaps during a storm. Usually, it’s a combination of environmental physics and the tree’s existing structural health.

• Heavy Snow Accumulation: Wet, heavy snow (often called “heart attack snow”) is particularly dangerous. It clings to needles and twigs, adding hundreds of pounds of “dead load” to the canopy.
• Ice Storms: Ice is deceptively heavy. A mere quarter-inch of ice accumulation can add thousands of pounds of weight to a mature tree, causing even healthy limbs to bow or shatter.
• Weak or Improperly Pruned Branches: Trees with “included bark” (v-shaped unions where two stems grow too close together) or those that have been “topped” in the past are the first to fail. These weak points act like a perforated line on a piece of paper—they are designed to snap under pressure.

Preventative Measures: Keeping the Canopy Secure

The best time to protect your trees from winter is before the first flake falls, but there are steps you can take throughout the season.

1. Structural Pruning (The Pre-Winter Essential)

The most effective defense is a well-maintained structure. By pruning your trees during the dormant season, an arborist can remove “hazard” branches—those that are dead, diseased, or structurally weak. Thinning the canopy slightly also reduces the “sail effect,” allowing wind and snow to pass through more easily.

2. The Right Way to Remove Snow

If you see your evergreens or low-hanging deciduous branches bowing under a fresh coat of snow, your instinct might be to shake them. Don’t. Shaking frozen branches can cause them to snap or damage the internal vascular tissue.

• The Pro Tip: Use a soft broom and gently brush the snow in an upward motion. Pushing down adds to the stress; lifting the snow off from underneath relieves it. 

3. Support, Don’t Strangle

For multi-stemmed evergreens (like Cedars or Junipers), some homeowners use twine to keep branches from splaying. While this can help, avoid tying them too tightly, as this can girdle the tree or cause moisture to trap against the bark, leading to fungal issues. For larger trees, professional cabling and bracing is a much safer, permanent solution. 

4. Choose Your Species Wisely

If you are planting new trees, consider their “snow load” tolerance. In our region, it’s best to prioritize strong-wooded species like Oaks or certain Maples. Brittle-wooded trees, such as Willows or Silver Maples, are beautiful but are far more prone to “ice-loading” failures.

Professional Help: When to Call an Arborist

We often get asked: “Can I just do this myself?”

DIY is fine for:

• Brushing snow off small shrubs and low-hanging branches you can reach from the ground.
• Mulching around the base of the tree to insulate roots.

 Call a Green Drop Arborist for:

• Any work requiring a ladder: Working on icy ground with heavy tools is a recipe for disaster.
• Branches near power lines: Never attempt to clear snow or ice from limbs touching utility lines.
• Large “hangers”: If a branch has already cracked but is still hanging in the canopy, it is a “widowmaker” and requires professional rigging to remove safely.
• Post-storm assessments: Sometimes the damage isn’t visible. An ISA-certified arborist can spot internal cracks that might fail during the next storm.

Don’t Wait for the Snap

Your trees are an investment in your property’s value and beauty. A proactive winter inspection can mean the difference between a tree that thrives for decades and one that has to be removed after a single bad night in January.

At Green Drop, our team of expert arborists is dedicated to the health and safety of your urban forest. Whether you need structural pruning to prep for the season or a safety assessment after a storm, we’re here to help.

Ready to winter-proof your landscape? Contact Green Drop today for a professional tree assessment.