Fall storms

View of snowy Flatirons from master bedroom

first snow of the season

tree damage from storm at 8th and Pine

heavy snow

snow covered trees

two silver maples at 1109

silver maples before removal

picture after tree removal

We have had two fall snow storms, both of which dumped 8 plus inches of snow on Boulder.  There was massive damage to the trees around Boulder, since many of the trees still had 75% of their leaves still on their branches.   The first storms of the season are always as dangerous as they are beautiful.  We did not have any tree damage around our property because the two most dangerous trees close to our property, two towering silver maples, were removed as a condition of  buying the house last March.   A week before we were to close on the house on Pine, a severe wind storm brought down a large branch on the east side of the property, causing damage to our neighbor's house.  We had the trees examined by an arborist from Taddiken Trees and they recommended removal.  They called the trees "hazardous".  In fact, hundreds of of silver maples that were planted throughout downtown Boulder during the 1890s could be classified as hazardous.  Appreciated for their fast growth and majestic height, 200 alone were planted by locals along Mapleton Avenue (formerly known as Hill Street), giving Mapleton Hill its leafy beauty.  Unfortunately, due to their fast growth, they are internally weak and prone to limb loss as they reach maturity.   Every year, during Boulder's wind and snow season more silver maples collapse or lose their amazing branches.  The problem is so severe that the city of Boulder posts tree recommendations on their website City of Boulder , providing alternatives to the silver maple that are well adapted to Boulder's climate and soil.