The Peace Region Tree Checklist: 7 Things to Check Before Winter

Almost every emergency call a tree crew takes in February was a visible problem the previous September. Heavy snow and wind do the damage, but the trees pick their victims months in advance.

Walk your property before freeze-up with this list. It takes twenty minutes.

1. Lean that’s new or getting worse

Trees can lean happily for decades. What matters is change. Compare against old photos if you have any. A lean that’s worse than last year — especially after a wet fall — is the most urgent item here.

2. Lifted or cracked soil at the base

A mound of raised earth, or a crack in the ground on the side opposite the lean, means the root plate is moving. That tree is telling you its plans.

3. Dead tops and big dead limbs

A spruce with a brown or bare top is dying downward. Dead wood is what snow load and wind throw at your roof. Anything dead hanging over the house, garage, driveway or where the kids play should be first on the list.

4. Conks and fungus at the base

Shelf fungus on the trunk or major roots indicates internal decay. The tree can look full and healthy while the structure holding it up is compromised. Aspen and poplar in the Peace are particularly prone to this.

5. Cracks and weak forks

Vertical cracks in the trunk, or tight V-shaped double tops — very common in balsam poplar and aspen — are pre-broken failure points waiting for the right load. Wet spring snow is exactly that load.

6. Recently exposed trees

A tree that grew up inside a bush or a shelterbelt and suddenly lost its neighbours — new construction, a cleared lot, a neighbour’s removal — is now taking wind it never developed the roots or trunk taper to handle. These fail disproportionately for the first several winters after exposure.

7. Limbs touching the house, roof or wires

Anything resting on or overhanging your roofline scrubs shingles all winter and packs your gutters. And remember: the service wire running from the pole to your house is the property owner’s responsibility to keep clear — but that clearing is work for a certified utility arborist, not a weekend project. BC Hydro advises keeping yourself, your tools and every part of the tree at least three metres from lower-voltage lines, with more distance required for higher voltages.

Found something? Fall quotes are calm. February emergencies are not. An assessment costs nothing, and a planned removal in the fall typically runs a fraction of what the same tree costs as a 2 a.m. emergency with a hole in your roof.

If a storm gets one anyway

Stay well clear of anything touching power lines and call BC Hydro first — nothing else happens until they’ve made it safe. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911. Photograph the damage before any cleanup starts; your insurer will want it, and storm tree damage is often covered by home insurance.

Then call for emergency response. Trees on structures get triaged ahead of everything else.

Book a free pre-winter assessment HERE