Key takeaways
- Prune to remove multiple leaders and weak branch attachments; it reduces snow and ice damage (UMN Extension).
- A professional can cable the main branches of large, wide-spreading trees.
- Tell the plow driver which trees and shrubs to avoid.
- Call a professional if you need a chainsaw or ladder, or a power line is involved.
If anyone is hurt, call 911. If a power line is down or touching a tree, stay away and call NV Energy, then call us.
Why does snow load break tree limbs?
Wet snow and ice add weight faster than a limb can adapt. Trees with multiple leaders, weak branch unions and heavy side branches are the ones that split. University of Minnesota Extension says proper pruning to eliminate multiple leaders and weak branch attachments reduces snow and ice damage, and that for large, wide-spreading leaders a professional arborist can cable the main branches. For small trees, the Extension suggests wrapping the tree or tying the leaders about two-thirds of the way up. See cabling and bracing and cabling explained.
How much snow
NOAA 1991-2020 normals give the Virginia City station 46.4 inches of snowfall a year, Minden 21.8, the Reno-Tahoe airport 20.9, Carson City 14.0 and Sparks 6.8. The Nevada side of Lake Tahoe has no nearby snowfall normal in our data; Tahoe City, California, across the lake, averages 179.0 inches. Normals are averages. One wet storm can do more damage than a normal season.
How do plows and piled snow hurt trees?
A plow edge scrapes bark and breaks low branches and shrubs, and piles of snow bury trunks and bend shrubs. Mark beds with stakes or flags before the first storm, tell your plow contractor which trees to avoid and where snow can go. Salt spray from plows is also a problem for evergreens; see ice melt, salt and your trees.
After the storm
Do not climb a ladder or use a chainsaw on a loaded tree. The Extension lists the situations that need a professional: you need a chainsaw or ladder to prune, there are downed and potentially energized power lines near the tree, or you do not know whether the tree is worth saving. Dead or hanging limbs can fall without warning. See heavy wet snow and broken limbs and widow-makers.
Emergency help
We offer 24-hour emergency service for storm damage: clearing roads and driveways, safety assessment, debris collection and disposal, and cabling and stabilization. After severe storms our existing clients come first, and we serve anyone in need. Call 775.232.8243.
What an arborist checks before winter
A certified arborist looks for included bark at the union of two stems, long heavy limbs over roofs and driveways, cracks and decay, and previous cuts that did not heal. We assess every job before work begins, and our two ISA Certified Arborists can advise on pruning, cabling and, where a tree is beyond saving, removal. That is a recommendation, never a guarantee that a tree will stand.
Stay off the loaded tree
Do not park under, walk under or climb a tree that is bent under snow. A bent limb can spring back or break without warning, and cracked limbs can still be attached. Mark the area with a cone or tape, keep kids and pets away, and call a professional. If power lines are involved, call NV Energy first and keep well back.
Before next winter
Pruning for structure is a dormant-season job in late winter for most deciduous trees and early spring for most conifers, per the timing in our pruning guide. A certified arborist can assess which trees carry the highest risk, but no one can say a tree is safe.
Sources
- University of Minnesota Extension: Protecting trees and shrubs in winter (out-of-state source) (read October 17, 2026)
- University of Minnesota Extension: Storm damage to landscape trees (out-of-state source) (read October 17, 2026)
- NOAA NCEI: 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals (station snowfall and precipitation) (data recorded October 1, 2026)