--- title: Protecting Trees From Plow and Snow-Load Damage url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/protecting-trees-from-plows-snow-load/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [The Field Guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/) - Protecting trees from plow and snow-load damage # Protecting trees from plow and snow-load damage Heavy snow and ice break limbs, and plows and piled snow damage trunks and branches. Pruning to remove multiple leaders and weak attachments reduces snow and ice damage, and a certified arborist can cable large spreading limbs. 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](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/cabling-bracing/) and [cabling explained](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-cabling-bracing-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](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/ice-melt-salt-and-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](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/heavy-snow-broken-limbs/) and [widow-makers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/widow-makers-hanging-limbs/). ## 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](tel: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](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/best-time-to-prune-trees-northern-nevada/). 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)](https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/protecting-trees-and-shrubs-winter) (read October 17, 2026) - [University of Minnesota Extension: Storm damage to landscape trees (out-of-state source)](https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/storm-damage-landscape-trees) (read October 17, 2026) - [NOAA NCEI: 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals (station snowfall and precipitation)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals) (data recorded October 1, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Heavy wet snow and broken limbs: what to do the morning after](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/heavy-snow-broken-limbs/) - [Cabling and bracing: when it saves a tree](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-cabling-bracing-explained/) - [Ice melt, salt and your trees](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/ice-melt-salt-and-trees/) - [Storm and snow-load breakage](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/storm-and-snow-load-breakage/) - [Emergency tree service and storm clean-up](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/emergency-tree-service/) - [Emergencies and storms questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/emergencies-and-storms/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [Included bark](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/included-bark/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ## More from the blog Pruning and care October 17, 2026 5 min read ### What should you do with your trees in October in Carson City and Reno? In October, finish watering while the ground is open, look over your trees for dead or hanging limbs, and clear leaves and needles away from the house. Save most live-wood pruning for the dormant seas Pruning and care October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Young trees in new subdivisions: the first ten years A young tree in a new subdivision needs very little pruning in its first two or three years, then steady structural pruning to build one strong central trunk and well-spaced branches. The ISA says tre Removal and equipment October 17, 2026 6 min read ### Where tree debris and green waste go in Reno and Carson City Green waste has a few legitimate homes in our area: the landfill or transfer station if the load is only wood and green waste, a fire district drop-off day or curbside chipping program if you qualify, [All posts](https://battleborntreeservice.com/blog/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### Should I shake snow off my tree? We do not advise standing under or shaking a loaded tree. Call a professional if limbs are bent or cracked. ### Can cabling prevent snow damage? It can reduce the risk on large, wide-spreading trees, per the Extension, and a certified arborist decides whether it fits. ### Will you plow around my trees? Tell us when you book which trees and beds to avoid. ### What if a branch is on a power line? Stay away and call NV Energy. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Then call us.