Ice damage to trees

The freak weather conditions of the 1997/98 winter in Canada and northern USA brought extremes of cold and frost which seriously damaged apple and sugar maple trees. The ice storms that pounded the area were caused by warm air at higher altitudes creating rain which froze as it hit the ground. In some instances apple and sugar maple trees were covered in ice, literally suffocated under 4 inches of frozen rain, while other trees, many over 100 years old, were simply snapped and broken under the weight of ice. Many farmers were faced with a 100% loss of apple and maple syrup production, with trees retarded in their growth and production for many years to come.