What to do when heavy wet snow hits your trees and shrubs

You don’t have to remove light snow on trees and shrubs—it’s the heavy snow that can be damaging. Evergreen trees and shrubs are especially susceptible to having their branches broken after a heavy snowfall, because their foliage allows the branches to collect large amounts of snow. So, if a heavy snowfall has hit your area and you have trees with snow on them, blow or brush the snow off by hand or with a broom with upward strokes. Branches can be brittle during the winter months, so be as gentle as possible.

When ice has accumulated, it’s time to leave the branches alone and let it all melt off. Trying to remove the ice at this point will likely cause more damage. If any branches do break, and they aren’t a hazard to you or the overall health of the tree, wait and prun them in late winter. The end of the winter is the best time to prune because trees and plants are still in dormancy, but it’s not so cold that it could expose them to more damage.

If they are leaning over let nature take it’s course they will gradually bounce back up.