Thanks @tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱. We considered Emerald Green but they don't get all that tall. I was just googling and stumbled upon American Pillar (Full Speed A Hedge) Arborvitae, though, and I think those might be just perfect. Fast growing and up to 30' tall while only 5-6 wide!

throw us a pic

Conifers drop lots of stuff also - evergreen does not mean no dead leaves. In the case of arborvitae these leaves just aren't very big at all. But they are slow to decompose, will therefore build up beneath the tree same as with other evergreen conifers.

Others from snow country should comment on results with particular columnar arborvitae selections in your region. Because I've seen splaying and splitting under snow loads being repeatedly brought up on this site.

Same structural failures can happen even in my region where big dumps are not a regular feature.

Do not plant Leyland Cypress anywhere east of the Rockies.

@UpperBayGardener (zone 7), why is Leyland Cypress not recommended east of the Rockies? The ones at my nursery looked beautiful. @Embothrium, arborvitae are common here - most of the ones I see in my neighborhood look to be Emerald Green or similar, and as far as I can tell they stand up to snow reasonably well, although I do understand that stuff happens.

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 I will try to post a pic later!

Have you looked at American Pillar Arbovitae? It sounds like a good option. Check it out

Pick a Thuja plicata clone, and maintain a single leader. Thuja x 'Steeplechase' has been rather narrow, and there are likely others to choose from.

https://conifersociety.org/conifers/thuja-standishii-x-plicata-steeplechase/