Storm hazards in tree work: ice and snow
What OSHA says about snow and ice on trees before a felling, and what Environment and Climate Change Canada, Met Eireann and the National Weather Service publish about freezing rain, snow and winter storms, with the tree wording each uses.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the named codes, regulators and makers say. It is not training and does not teach the work. This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It sets out one logging rule and the warning wording of three weather services on ice and snow. All pages were read on October 9, 2026. The courses that teach felling are in the guides on chainsaw tickets and certifications by country. Each place's felling rules are on the page about felling rules by country, and the wider storm picture is in storm work.
OSHA: snow and ice in the logging standard
OSHA's logging standard, 29 CFR 1910.266, names snow and ice twice in its manual felling paragraph. Paragraph (h)(2)(ii) lists snow and ice accumulation among the conditions the feller evaluates before each tree is felled, with wind, the lean of the tree, dead limbs and the location of other trees. Paragraph (h)(2)(iii) says each tree is checked for accumulations of snow and ice, and that accumulations that may create a hazard are removed before felling starts in the area, or the area is avoided.
Canada: Environment and Climate Change Canada
The department's weather impact guides, dated February 20, 2026, give three relevant guides, each at three impact levels. The ice guide, which covers freezing rain, freezing drizzle and flash freeze, lists ice on powerlines at the moderate level with some property damage and broken branches, major property damage and treefall at the high level, and widespread property damage with trees destroyed at the extreme level. The snow guide lists property and tree damage and roofs at risk of collapse at the high level. The winter storm guide lists larger tree branches broken at the moderate level, significant tree damage at the high level and stands of trees flattened or destroyed at the extreme level. The guides give no snow depth or ice thickness figures.
Ireland: Met Eireann
Met Eireann's weather warnings explanation publishes snow and ice figures by colour. Yellow is 3 cm or more of snow in 24 hours. Orange is 3 cm or more in 6 hours, 5 cm or more in 12 hours, or 10 cm or more in 24 hours. Red is 10 cm or more in 6 hours, 15 cm or more in 12 hours, or 30 cm or more in 24 hours. For low temperatures it describes dangerous surfaces from ice and lying snow, and adds that ice is not always visible on surfaces.
United States: National Weather Service
The National Weather Service safety page on winter weather says winter storms bring snow, sleet and freezing rain across the country, that a blizzard is strong wind causing blowing snow and whiteout, and that thousands of people are injured or killed each year in traffic accidents on slippery roads from winter storms. The page, as read, says nothing about trees.
What each source publishes
| Source | Figure | Tree wording |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.266 | None | Trees checked for snow and ice before felling |
| Environment and Climate Change Canada | None | Broken branches, treefall, trees destroyed |
| Met Eireann | Yellow snow: 3 cm in 24 hours | None on snow; ice on surfaces |
| National Weather Service | None | None on the page |