Deer eating shrub. Photo by Alan Fitch.

By Alivia Kilroy
Staff writer

The snowstorm before Halloween took Westford by surprise. The snowstorm resulted in a large amount of trees and limbs down all over Massachusetts.

This storm was not so bad because it was early, but because of the overall change in temperature over the past few years. “The increasing temperatures have caused leaves to stay on the leaves longer, overriding the usual things that make leaves fall off such as length of day and dryness” said Joe Poynton, a Biology teacher here at WA who majored in Forestry in college.

Studies have shown that as of the last few years spring has been coming a week earlier and winter a week later. This causes leaves to stay on later and later each year because of warm temperatures. The warm temperatures cause more evaporation, which directly links to more rain keeping the plants photosynthesizing later into the year.

“The leaves being on trees acted as catcher mitts, catching all the snow.” said Poynton.

He also mentioned that the weight of snow that fell in a ten feet by ten feet area could have weighed as much a tank, in which case the storm could have been a lot worse on the wildlife around Westford.

“Deer are going to have a hard time this winter, you’ll probably see them in your yards eating your shrubs and everything they can,” said Poynton.

The deer population is already down from last year’s harsh winter. Chances are that deer will not have to compete as much this winter for food, but they still will struggle.

Other animals may have a hard time surviving this winter because their nests were in the trees and limbs that could not handle the weight of the snow.

The overall effects of the storm may not be as apparent to residents of Westford now that the storm has passed and everyone has begun to clean up their yards, but nature might take a hard hit in upcoming months because of October’s harsh storm.