Tree trimming and pruning in Washoe Valley, NV

Washoe Valley is the stretch between Carson City and Reno around Washoe Lake. About 1,340 homes are spread along both sides of the valley, more than half of them built before 1980. It is the closest community in Washoe County to our yard.

At a glance

• About 94% of buildings in the direct wildfire exposure zone
• About 53% of homes built before 1980
• Weight reduction and dead wood removal ahead of wind season
• About 25 minutes from our Carson City yard

How do you prune a tree for wind?

Downslope wind off the Carson Range is part of living in this valley. Wind does not usually break a sound, well-shaped limb. It breaks dead wood, limbs with a weak fork, and long branches carrying most of their weight at the tip.

Pruning for wind goes after those three things. Dead wood comes out. Overextended limbs are shortened back to a side branch, which moves the weight in toward the trunk. A limb with a weak fork may be reduced, or supported with cabling and bracing if the arborist thinks the tree is worth it. What we do not do is strip out the inside of the crown, which leaves weight at the branch ends and makes wind damage more likely. More in Washoe Zephyr and downslope winds: preparing your trees.

Nearly every building here is in the direct exposure zone

The Forest Service's Wildfire Risk to Communities data puts 93.7% of Washoe Valley's buildings in the direct exposure zone, one of the highest shares in our service area. Recent history backs it up. The Davis Fire (2024, 5,824 acres) and the Washoe Drive Fire (2011, 3,178 acres) are both mapped with centers within about 4 miles.

For the trees near a house, that makes crown raising a priority: low limbs are removed so that fire in grass or brush has no ladder into the canopy. University of Nevada, Reno Extension's Living With Fire guide sets out the zones, starting with an ember-resistant 0 to 5 feet around the house. Branches over the roof and against the siding are the first to go.

Old ranch lots, old trees

The median Washoe Valley home dates from 1979, and about 53% were built before 1980 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Trees on lots of that age are often the tallest things for a long way, and they have been through decades of wind. Before quoting, the arborist looks for old storm breaks that never closed, hanging branches and cracks at the main forks.

A wetter spot than Carson City

A precipitation gauge on the north edge of Carson City (Carson City 4.4 N, about 6 miles from the valley) averages 15.2 inches a year. The downtown Carson City station averages 9.34. Trees on the west side of the valley, under the mountains, get more water than those out by the lake. Timing is the same for both: dormant-season pruning for most deciduous trees, early spring and summer for most conifers, and hazards any time.