Can trees be removed in winter?

What winter helps

Without leaves, the structure of a deciduous tree is easy to see, which helps the arborist spot cracks, dead limbs and weak forks. Frozen ground can also carry equipment with less rutting than a wet spring lawn. Late winter is the dormant season, when most pruning of deciduous trees is done too.

What winter makes harder

Snow and ice on a roof, a steep driveway or a slope change how a crew can move and where the pieces can go. Heavy wet snow can load a tree and make it unpredictable. Sites get less daylight too. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals put snowfall at about 29.7 inches a year at the Reno WFO station (not the airport) and 14.0 inches at the Carson City station, with far more at the lake: Tahoe City, California, across the lake, shows 179.0 inches. The amount you deal with depends on where you live and how high.

Some work is urgent whatever the season, such as a split trunk or a limb hanging over the house. Do not wait on those; see heavy snow and broken limbs.

Lake Tahoe and permits

In the Tahoe Basin, TRPA requires a permit to remove live trees over 14 inches in diameter at breast height. A dead tree that could fall on a house does not need one. We did not find a work-season rule for Tahoe tree removal in the pages we read, so ask TRPA or your fire district before you plan around the calendar.

The estimate is free and the phone line is staffed seven days a week. Call 775.232.8243.

Winter can also be a practical time to book. Many people think of tree work as a spring and summer job, so asking in the off season gives you time to talk through the plan. A tree that is leafless, snow-free and visible from every side is easier to assess, and the arborist can often see problems that leaves hide in summer. If the job is a hazard, call at once whatever the month, and use the 24-hour emergency line.