Are high winds the cause of or the clearance of widow makers in the woods?

[GrumpyDad]

Im curious, after a series of strong winds w/ gust >50mph, I see alot of larger branches on the ground. Some very large. From both living and dead trees.
Being a helicopter dad, Im always warning my kids to watch out when it's generally windy or gusty outside because that can cause trees to sway and give way of branches.

There are also branches that are caught up from other branches that fall during higher winds.
So Im curious if high wind storms are overall helpful in clearing the risk, or do they create more of a risk?

 

[yooperdave]

Yes..........both.

When it is windy, stay out of the woods. Thats when mother nature does her pruning.

 

[Nealm66]

Standing snags will often fall over in the spring as the sun dries out one side. Just a heads up ( pun intended)

 

[GrumpyDad]

Standing snags will often fall over in the spring as the sun dries out one side. Just a heads up ( pun intended)

That's good to know.

 

[spuldup]

I learned this fact from a logger named Ray:
You don't cut timber on a windy day.
Stay outta the woods when the moisture's low.
Or you ain't gonna live to collect your dough.
-Johnny Cash

 

[CincyBurner]

Words of wisdom from different people.

When it is windy, stay out of the woods. Thats . . .

. . . what mom said, along with, "Wait at least half an hour to go back to swim in ocean after lunch".

 

[tlc1976]

There’s a section of road on my way home that runs right along the woods, and wide open on the other side. When we get strong winds like 50+, they just close it and send us on a detour, rather than trying to keep up with limbs and downed trees in the road.

 

[spuldup]

Words of wisdom from different people.


. . . what mom said, along with, "Wait at least half an hour to go back to swim in ocean after lunch".

I get your drift. The odds of a random branch hitting a random person walking in the woods in a storm are likely akin to allowing yourself lie face up, mouth open for an hour and a birds poop falling in.
Still, for the small percent of time high winds are present, why chance it? Not as slippery a slope as some might think.

 

[Nealm66]

Where I’m at, strong winds create complete nightmares for timber falling. I’ve cut 50-100 acre units of blowdown on steep ground that are very dangerous. Usually the sales are a year old or so and some of the energy has left but I have had jobs where we’ve exposed standing timber to wind it’s never seen, turn into complete nightmares. So I guess I’d say around here it does way more harm than good

 

[yooperdave]

Words of wisdom from different people.


. . . what mom said, along with, "Wait at least half an hour to go back to swim in ocean after lunch".

Right? I never could understand that one! As kids, we would play hard for that 1/2 hour (actually, it was one hour here) before we went back in the water!

No oe ever cramped up during that "wait"

 

[begreen]

We had the same admonition from my mom. It was tough because we had a summer cabin by the lake.

 

[gzecc]

With all the dead ash trees in my area, its dangerous just walking down our country road.

 

[mcdougy]

"Heads down" should be the saying....unless you like direct blows to face from the falling object.

 

[yooperdave]

"Heads down" should be the saying....unless you like direct blows to face from the falling object.

Naw....you'd miss any opportunity to see the china spy balloons!

 

[begreen]