Early snow is bad: my theory

[Zak33]

I just had to take a short 30 mile journey across the chilterns, along lanes I've known since I were a lad which is a fair while now.

I've never seen a medium amount of snow cause such damage

Tress down all over the county, people having to drive on the wrong side of narrow lanes to make it past overhanging cracked branches... loads of them.

And my theory is: the leaves haven't dropped yet properly and they are holding a ton more snow than the bare branches would.

It was really bad out there... so if you're driving down any lanes wih moderate snowfall in next few days, watch out for entire trees hanging over the road... it's not safe.

[Stringent]

My friend noticed this. As you said the leaves haven't fallen yet so snow builds up and the extra weight causes branches to fall off.

Also I hit a couple of ice patches around so still be carefull.

[staffsMike]

I had the same thought yesterday as I got drenched walking under tree's as it melted.

Very annoying and yes very dangerous out on the b roads especially.

[MSIC]

If i could combine a couple of Zak's theory's for a moment here...

I think that the snow becomes arranged over an average tree (with a top-down broadly circular view) of a higher density of snow in middle and less and less towards the edges, so that more falls down at the edges.

Or something like that....