Why now

In NOAA's storm records for Madison County from 2010 through 2025, thunderstorm-wind reports were most common in June, May and April, and tornado entries in May and April. Our county storm and tornado record has the details. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) says established trees are best pruned in winter or early spring, so the months before storm season and the best months for pruning are the same months.

What to cut first

Dead branches. ACES recommends clearing mature trees of dead branches more than an inch in diameter, and calls them missiles waiting to happen in a hurricane.
Over-extended limbs: long, slender branches with few side branches, which ACES says are more likely to crack or break in wind. ACES notes these are often created by pruning, including raising a canopy too far or clearing out all the interior branches.
Branches joined to the trunk at sharp, tight angles, where branch bark and trunk bark are pressed together. ACES calls these a structural problem.
Competing leaders. ACES advises keeping a mature tree's single leading trunk as long as possible.
Limbs over the roof, driveway or play areas, after a look at what each branch could hit.

When to cut

Established trees: winter or early spring, per ACES.
Maples and elms: ACES says early winter (December to early January) is better, because they tend to bleed if cut in active growth.
Pines: ACES says prune in winter, since pines pruned in spring and summer are more susceptible to insect problems.
Flowering trees and shrubs: right after they flower. For renewal pruning of shrubs in the Huntsville, Decatur and Florence region, ACES gives March 10 as a good target date.
Hazards: a broken or hanging limb can be removed any time.

What not to do

Do not top trees. ACES says topping promotes fast, soft regrowth that is easily damaged by wind.
Do not over-thin the interior or raise the canopy too far, for the over-extension reason above.
Do not paint the cuts. ACES says wound dressings do not help the healing process.
For large limbs, use the three-cut method ACES describes, so the weight does not tear bark down the trunk.

Young trees are the cheap fix

ACES recommends pruning young trees every year to build a strong structure: a single trunk and well-spaced branches with wide angles. That small annual job avoids removing big limbs later.

Know when to call a pro

ACES advises hiring a professional arborist if you find a problem, and says large-tree pruning should not be done by just anyone; it suggests experienced ISA certified arborists, who can be searched at treesaregood.com. If wires are touching a tree, ACES says to stay at least 10 feet away and call the utility. For trees already damaged by a storm, ACES lists signs that removal is recommended, including soil raised into a hump on one side, broken roots lifted out of the soil, a cracked root flare and vertical cracks in the trunk.

We do storm-prep trimming through the winter. You get a written price and a list of exactly which limbs come off before we start.

Sources: Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Woody Landscape Plants: Pruning (ANR-0258) · Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Check Your Trees Before a Hurricane · Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Protect Your Trees · checked 2026-11-01

Trimming trees before storm season: what to cut, and when