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Trees, Lightning and Snow Strikes
Ironically. The first snow of the season came with something that felt pretty ironic. In preparation for my impending home inspection license renewal I took a course on evaluating trees and common issues. Numerous pictures and conditions were identified to warn folks of tree trouble. I felt informed and ready to bring a few new thoughts to my inspections.
Later that night as the soft fluff fell there was what sounded like a nearby rifle crack and then a couple more. “Sounds like firewood!” I thought to myself, and returned to my quiet fireside reading. To my neighbor working in his office in the barn it sounded like a thunder crack complete with seismic movement! It was glancing roof blow and overall a near miss. In the morning we assessed the excitement from the previous night and discovered a massive trunk-sized branch had snapped under the weight of the wet snow.
Dang! – that could have been bad!
Dang! – I’m going to have to get out my chainsaw!
The course I took covered almost every conceivable scenario and had numerous pictures of lightning strikes and scarring. What the authors did not think to consider was wet, heavy Pacific Northwest snow fall and the proliferation of trees everywhere! So, at no cost to you I offer you some conditions to watch for with trees near your house and out-buildings.
- Significant branch areas with dead or missing needles.
- Large cavities and deformations in the trunk.
- Numerous dead branches on the ground around the tree or massive limbs precariously dangling and ready to fall (aka “widow makers”).
- Multiple “trunks” with signs of the seam splitting or cracking.
- Branches that are as thick as the trunk growing from the side of the tree (as in the case with the seemingly health tree next to the barn).
- New noticeable trunk lean.
- Soil uplifting around the tree and roots visible that were previously buried.
Interestingly, roots are one of the more common concerns we have with walkways and driveway problems. Tree root systems generally will grow as wide as the trees are tall. A 20′ tall tree will have a 20′ radius for its root system. Also, 80 percent of the root base is in near the surface (2′ or less in depth). This has significance to planting trees and hardscape planning!
If you have questions or concerns that you would like to run by me feel free to reach out via email or phone (425) 387-1975. I would be glad to offer you my take and have some tree specialists I can refer to you.
