Tips to save your trees as spring storm approaches
As tree-huggers nationwide celebrated Arbor Day on Friday, residents of Colorado Springs prepared to get socked with yet another wet, heavy snowfall like the one that shattered trees, branches and twigs across the city April 4.
The saturated snowflakes are expected to fly Friday night through Saturday evening, the National Weather Service predicted.
– Up to 12 inches of snow are possible in some areas.
In order to protect trees – whether city-owned street trees or those on private property – heed these recommendations:
◘ Use a broom or other soft object to gently whack the snow off branches, but only if the tree is entirely clear of utility lines. No tree is worth the risk of electrocution.
◘ Don’t climb a tree or teeter on a ladder to reach high branches. Again, personal safety trumps the fate of foliage.
◘ On the off-chance a hard freeze occurs, contrary to weather predictions, don’t try to remove ice from limbs.
People with huge, old trees should beware standing beneath heavily snow-laden branches. Should one crack and fall, it could kill a person below.
For help with fallen trees obstructing roadways, call 719-385-5942 unless it’s an emergency. Then call 911.
While property owners are responsible for their trees, the city owns its street trees and is obligated to collect branches that fall from those.
That work is on a deep backlog, though, since the storm earlier this month resulted in giant mounds of branches that have yet to be collected, particularly on the city’s west side.
A pedestrian walks through Middle Shooks Run Park as tree limbs lie on the ground after falling from the wet snow Tuesday, April 4, 2017, in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Large tree brach blocking driveway on Chambers Drive in Pleasant Valley neighborhood (Brian McCarrie, The Gazette)
A city crew removes a fallen tree limb from Nevada Avenue on the eastside of Colorado College after a wet, heavy snowstorm hit the Colorado Springs area Tuesday, April 4, 2017. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
A pedestrian walks through Middle Shooks Run Park as tree limbs lie on the ground after falling from the wet snow Tuesday, April 4, 2017, in Colorado Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
A city crew removes a fallen tree limb from Nevada Avenue on the eastside of Colorado College after a wet, heavy snowstorm hit the Colorado Springs area Tuesday, April 4, 2017. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)