Some of that is normal needle death as newer plant parts shade out the older. But to at least some degree, this reminds me of how lots of spruce are looking around here, where a number of needle blights have been identified. An old-school one is Rhizospheara which is fairly well understood. But much more concerning are reports circulating out of Michigan about a previously-unknown or little-know aspect of the funagal pathogen Phomopsis-not formerly known to attack spruce-which may be ramping up. We find the western spruce types-those from the Rocky Mt. states-as being most susceptible, along with that dog of the spruce world-black hills spruce, itself a western variant of an otherwise perfectly fine native tree here in the Great Lakes. Gawd, I wish folks would get over that lousy plant. I'm pretty sure it's the name that people find attractive.

In any case, you're almost going to have to submit samples to your state's disease diagnostic lab (if you're not in a state run by fools intent on eliminating everything good that govt does). Those are just about the only guys who will be able to ID it.

+oM

Thank you kindly wisconsitom! I'll check into NY state diagnostic resources. Be well

Wiscons, what is the Midwest native version of a black hills?

Just regular white spruce. Also present throughout New England. Why, oh why did so many get suckered into that dog from the Black Hills? Oh yeah, the name, lol!

+om