I hope the ones that rebound do so completely and avoid cracks, etc.

'Victoria' came out of the Pacific Northwest...an area where snows, when they do fall, tend to be heavy. Edith Bogue too is quite resistant to snow loads. I did not have too much damage to these or other cultivars despite the snows and sleet (freezing rain did not occur near me).

Pic is of a Victoria taken either last year or Winter previous. I do try to remove the heaviest, wettest snows with a broom, but they are getting to tall now for this. This particular tree reverted back to normal without damage once the snow melted.

Yup, pretty much exactly like mine -- already popped back up. Fortunate that sleet happened -- I think southeast PA (Philadelphia) & northeast MD got freezing rain instead of the sleet.

Yes, I know. We were very worried about that freezing rain and I was following it closely! Not so much for the Mags as for the subtropicals in my garage (mostly palms and Citrus)...as I do use some heaters in there. Freezing rain is the worst, and it can happen at far above subarctic temperatures!

This is the same tree last summer.

The southern magnolia we had growing up did have some ice and wet snow damage from time-to-time, but it was never major. It was usually relegated to forked branches like co-dominant leaders.

The Mags are gonna be tested again this Winter. Big ice/sleet/snow storm for the Southeast coming, then our turn. Supposed to be snow here though...anything but I freezing rain!

While your impulse is to shake the snow from these trees, in some case your assistance to get the ice and snow from the trees can cause more damage than letting the ice and snow melt of naturally.

The native range of Eastern White Pine extends all the way up to southern Manitoba, one would think it is well adapted to snow and ice. The reality is the brittle wood of this White Pine is easily damaged by snow load and pics like this are quite common with many trees totally destroyed.
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Yes, sam also knows well that native trees behave quite differently in landscape conditions (as individual "specimens") than they do in their natural forested state, where many trees close together are affected quite differently by such weather conditions.

Caveat emptor, or gardener beware....

A major nor'easter moving up the coast. Fortunately, here, so far the snow is "dry" and not sticking much to surfaces. Less chance of power outages.

This has been the Winter from hell here! Today, there was a foot of snow, then rain (on top of at least a foot of previous snow, with mounds of snow to 6 feet). Expecting 'thunder snow' later and more accumulation, then, maybe, another potent wallop Saturday PM. Lots of snow, but no ice. Lost one branch on one of the Mags, but others are fine (better than me, certainly). This is insane! Economy is gonna be takin' a hit, if not the trees!!

About 12-13" here. No real damage or power outages. Seems like Winchester, VA up thru Frederick, MD got the largest amounts -- ~20" or more in spots.

So there's about 3" of liquid water equivalent accumulated now on the ground. If it melts fast, it'll cause big flooding. Slow melting would be preferred.

What's interesting is that I pulled my rain-gauge right out of the ground -- the ground isn't frozen! But my border stream is frozen over solid -- hasn't happened since I've been here 10 yrs.

Got an email from a friend on Allentown Pa this morning. She said they got 22" of snow yesterday, and that she has not seen the grass since about Thanksgiving. Mountains of snow everywhere. I like snow...... but not that much and for that long......

Arktrees

That's been the problem, little melting between storms. Big difference today! Almost feels like Spring by comparison, there are shallow seas of melting snow everywhere, but at least the roads are not iced. Weather conditions seem to be improving in the extended with temps in 50's or higher.

It's really a shame we can't get some of his moisture out to California. East certainly looking good with respect to its aquifers this growing season, I'd say. Saw in the news that after years of falling water levels, Great Lakes are improving...because they are so frozen over this year. This will certainly be a memorable Winter!

I'm only in my late 30s, but I can't remember a winter when there was a significant storm or northeaster almost every week starting in mid December. Granted we haven't had a walloper with over 18", and the totals (hopefully!) won't be as high as 2010, but the overall pattern is one of the snowiest I remember. That being said if we are going to have nights in the single digits, I'd much rather there be snow cover present and I'm sure it has saved at least a couple plants in my garden.

I remember a Winter in the 90's that was worse. Why? It was just an endless series of ice storms, a couple a week. This year, no freezing rain (even when it was predicted), a bit of sleet, but mostly snow, lots and lots of snow. Curiously enough, the most damage I have ever seen from snow occurred in the freak Halloween snowstorm of a few years ago. No snow was predicted, ocean temps were still warm, it wasn't even that cold (mid to upper 30's). That storm caused trees to literally slit in half! (Deciduous trees were still in green at the time.) The deciduous, 'Northern' Magnolias were hit bad. My Star Magnolia is still recuperating from that one. Ironically, the evergreen, 'Southern' ones, were fine. Expecting another storm tomorrow, then a big time warm up, 'bout time!

I live in Upstate NY - near the Canadian border - yes, WAY upstate - Zone 4a! I wanted to post some pictures of the ice storm that we had around Christmas. Many of our trees were destroyed - seriously. I have a White Pine that I loved - blocked the view of the house - that is basically sheared away in the middle. Still not sure what we are going to do with this. Many trees were just snapped. My Tamarack snapped and the top ten feet of the tree broke off. Three Red Cedars almost done for. Poplars that were sheared.

I will be honesty and say it is hard for me to go back and look at these pictures. Almost two months later now we have cut and chipped some limbs (figured we better get started on this early) that are already on the ground. The big Black Cherry we had to skid out with the 4-wheeler and we cut down the remaining truck and skidded that out too. We have had quite a bit of snowfall as of late so getting in there with the chipper is not possible now.

When we bought this property it hadn't been maintained all that well in the last few years. We have worked hard the last three years sprucing it up and to see this act of God hurt. It is ironic to me because I know how obsessed, literally, I have been with it and to watch God allow it to be cut down in a matter of days - wow! Maybe He is trying to tell me something - more important things in life???? My DH kept telling me it could have been worse - tree through the roof, etc. - he is right I know but still hard for me to swallow - I loved all the work we had done.

If anyone has any suggestions as far as what to do with these - obviously some have to be cut to the ground - I'd appreciate to hear anyone's opinion.

White Pine Before/During Ice Storm - entire middle section is pretty much missing. You can see the snapped branches - I couldn't believe how many I hauled out of there that were just snapped off.

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Tamarack with top ten feet snapped out of it. Next to White Pine in above picture.

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Three Red Cedars as the ice storm was just starting/and now.

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Black Cherry Limb snapped off - honestly, this is the only one I really did want gone.

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Back of the house: You can see the White Birch that is hanging toward the house in the center and over another smaller red cedar. This tree is really three trunks and I imagine we will be cutting it down this Spring. The one limb never went all the way back up and the other two trunks are snapped at the tops.

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I'm just glad we don't have many ice storms here. The only trees I really see consistently damaged by heavy wet snow loads are the arbs and red cedars.

Sorry for everyone's loses...those truly are some destructive pictures.

I have to say bring the snow all day, any day though. We've been covered for 70+ days....potential to break the all time record for snow cover. Ways to go but lots of snow and plenty cold.

Haven't been above freezing for almost a month now and 36 days with sub zero temps. Getting close to breaking another record...which is one you just don't want to break.

Its difficult to find these records but Milwaukee averages 7-10 below zero days a year and the record is 36. I haven't kept count of how many Milwaukee has but I think its in the mid 20s.

Another 2" overnite. Another clipper in a couple days will add some more. Great Lakes are pretty much frozen over:

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:329533}}

Damn, MsKitty. That is hard to look, at. I can only imagine how heartbroken you must feel. All that hard work, blood, sweat and tears and then total destruction... Well, as whaas hinted at in another topic, planting new babies will help you heal from this traumatic event. Posting updates here is always appreciated and might help the healing process, too/

Every time I look at my plants in the growing season in the back of my mind I am always wondering when an ice storm will mutilate them.

On a different forum, I have heard many people preach to the beautiful destruction ice storms cause. Those people can go play in an eternal inferno as far as I'm concerned.

Everywhere I looked after the ice storm around here the single tree that took the ice without one stinking broken limb were the spruces. The limbs just laid down on themselves and that was that. I keep telling everyone I am not buying anything but spruces ever again! Ha! I still keep looking at all the trees as we drive around doing daily things and so many White Pines are mangled - I know they are brittle wood but jeeps!

We had an ice storm in 1998 when we lived on the dairy farm - I was only 17 then but we were without power for three weeks. We had a generator - thank God - because the cows HAD to get milked. Anyway, I remember seeing all the trees - acres and acres - covered in ice. You could stand outside and hear nothing but the snapping and falling of limb after limb - kinda like this past ice storm - ugh. Anyway, it is beautiful to see because it is like they are all encased in diamonds or crystals on a sunny day BUT and a BIG BUT I would go the rest of my life not seeing that because I see what my poor trees look like after and it has killed many trees - not worth the seeing to me - bleh!

I can probably deal with most of the the ones we will have to cut down but the White Pine that blocks the house that has now had the middle of it carved out of it is sad. And...for the last 3-4 years I have put a large garden in that area and all my shade perennials are under the tree - yay! - so cutting it down eeeeeks.

MsKitty,
FWIW, had similar here a few years ago. Old mature trees stripped to trunks in many cases. Trying to drive through town was like a rat in a maze due to trees blocking roads, Many place the power was out for a month. I have every compassion for you and your trees. Check the link below for techniques that might help you save some of them.

Arktrees

Here is a link that might be useful: Restoration Pruning

1/2 inch of ice in z8 coastal NC, it was sad to see all of the palms looking pretty mashed. Longleaf pines and live oaks sustained most of the damage, hollies and magnolias also dropped some limbs. Sadly the local Bradford pears seem mostly un-touched, out of the hundreds I drive by daily only one has exploded. In my yard, the invading privet around the edge of the woods is fairly decimated, with most of the small tree sized ones snapping and forming a tangled mess, and a gnarly old corkscrew willow has been reduced to a bunch of jagged stumps. A large red maple in the center of my yard sustained major damage (loosing major portions of canopy and trunk), while the huge sweet gums barley lost twigs. Every major store in the county is sold out of chainsaws, and I am testing the limits of my saws-all with this cleanup...