Key takeaways
- Snow load breaks weak limbs, split forks and dead wood first.
- Dense crowns hold more snow, and exposure varies a lot from Carson City to Virginia City.
- Do not shake, beat or climb a loaded tree; leave ice-covered branches alone.
- Pruning, cabling and bracing can reduce the risk, but cannot remove it.
No tree is snow-proof, and the work that helps is done in the fall or not at all. Here is what the weather data and Extension guidance say about snow load and what to ask a professional to check.
How much snow do our valleys and mountains get?
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show how much it varies. Carson City averages about 14.0 inches of snow a year, the Reno airport about 20.9, the Reno National Weather Service office on the north side about 29.7 and Virginia City about 46.4. Across the lake, Tahoe City, California, averages 179.0 inches, which we cite only as a reference since we work the Nevada side.
The average hides the big storms. FEMA's National Risk Index rates winter weather risk as Very High for Washoe County and Relatively High for Carson City, Douglas and Lyon counties. Those are county ratings, not a forecast for your yard.
What actually breaks in a snow load?
Extension sources describe the same pattern. Wet snow adds weight to branches faster than they can handle it, and dense crowns hold more snow. Limbs bend, split or break, and upright evergreens can splay open. The first failures tend to be dead wood, narrow forks where two stems grow tight together, and limbs that have decay inside.
A bent branch stores energy. Missouri Extension warns that a small mistake with a saw on a bowed limb can cause serious injury, and that a hanging limb may not fall straight down.
What can be done before winter?
An arborist can look at structure and recommend one of a few things. Which one depends on the tree, and an arborist decides after seeing it.
- Remove dead wood, which is the first thing to fail
- Reduce or thin a heavy limb so it carries less
- Add a cable or brace to a sound tree with a weak fork
- Remove a tree whose trunk or roots have decay
Battle Born offers dead wooding, cabling and bracing and trimming and pruning. Our cabling and bracing guide explains when support helps. We do not promise that any tree will come through a storm.
What should you not do during a snow storm?
Penn State Extension notes that most horticulturists recommend leaving ice-covered branches alone, because knocking the ice off often causes more breakage. Do not shake or beat a loaded tree, do not stand under a loaded crown and do not climb. Keep people and cars out from under it.
Our guide to heavy snow and broken limbs covers the morning after in more detail.
What about plows and snow piles near trees?
Plow damage and piled snow add to winter stress. Keep plowed snow and salt away from trunks and roots where you can. See protecting trees from plow and snow-load damage. Battle Born also offers snow and ice removal in snow season.
Set a short routine. Look at your trees before the first forecast storm, again after it passes and once more when the snow melts. Photograph any limb that looks different each time. Those photos help an arborist see change over time, and they help with insurance if a tree does fail.
When should you call?
Before the storm for anything big, high or overhead. A certified arborist assesses every job before work begins, and Battle Born Tree Service has two ISA Certified Arborists on staff, including ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A. If a tree is down or limbs are on the house or a line during a storm, see what to do first. Call 775.232.8243 for a free estimate.
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (read October 1, 2026)
- FEMA: National Risk Index, county level (December 2025) (read October 1, 2026)
- University of Missouri Extension: Caring for Snow-Damaged Trees (read October 17, 2026)
- Penn State Extension: Winter Damage to Trees and Shrubs (read October 17, 2026)