Which in some ways aren’t that freakish, a genuine Nor’Easter, just early..very early.  To the tune of eighteen inches in 20 hours.  Now, one might say, “what is the problem?”  That is where it gets interesting, at least if one is interested in why trees fail.  The primary problem was several common species had yet to drop their leaves, in particular the Black Oaks.  Black Oaks, in the right conditions, grow fast and thick.  Leaves plus snow, well you know your physics.  This was also the case for the Star and Saucer Magnolias, both of which don’t tend to grow this far north in a ‘natural’ environment.  It was also a problem for the Japanese Maples, though both they and the Norway Maples could take more bending than the Oaks and Magnolias and so suffered less damage overall. Both species, non-native, don’t drop their leaves until very late, the Norway has yet to turn; I rather wonder if they are therefore more capable of handling leaf + snow loads.  The Black oaks were late this year as we had not yet had a frost.  Dogwoods, including the Kousa, are very flexible and weren’t bothered.  (I worried, but they could generally take it, which makes sense: their branching structure predisposes snow capture regardless of leaf cover, so flexible wood is a necessity).  Evergreen losses were confined to those with unstable root systems: snow load plus unfrozen ground…physics again.

We lost relatively few trees and shrubs, only one (a Black Cherry) completely.  Frankly a minor miracle.  Severe damage to some trees and shrubs, but not what it might have been.  Though that Gingko limb made a lovely Thump on the porch!