Windy Spring Weather Brings Down Pine Tree

Spring weather always keeps us guessing. Will it get warmer today so I can open the windows or will I have to bring in more wood for the furnace? Can I go take pictures outside or will the wind make that a useless adventure?

Besides the Spring rains there are always some freak winds that come up the valley or across the mountains that ends up toppling a few trees here and there. The night of the 17th was terribly windy with some real gusts. Not sure how strong as far as miles per hour, but the trees were really swaying. The wind gusts made a wild noise sweeping through the trees. It was eerily quiet in between the gusts.

I was at Little Buffalo State Park the next morning and wasn’t too surprised to run into a DCNR employee with a chainsaw in hand. I got a few pictures of a rather large white pine that was taken down by some stiff wind. We’re very lucky that more damage wasn’t inflicted on the Clay Covered Bridge. Maybe a few shingles were lost, but the damage could have been a lot worse!

This white pine was at least 55 years old.

The sapwood released its watery contents in the areas that were damaged. When the tree was felled and cut, its vessels that transport water and nutrients were broken, and so, the sap bled out of the wood.

Nice straight trunk, maybe nice enough to be sold for board content.

In our woods we see trees that are damaged by weather every year. Some are just old trees, but others were probably damaged first by insects and then brought down by the wind.