Deep snow insulates tree roots in northern hardwood systems from fluctuating winter temperatures. Many northern hardwood species are susceptible to root frost damage, including sugar maple and yellow birch. As climate change continues to increase winter temperatures in the Upper Midwest, it is expected that the winter snowpack will be reduced and more variable, and that freeze-thaw events will become more common. The potential for more freeze-thaw events could exacerbate ongoing hardwood dieback in northern Michigan and northern Wisconsin. Additionally, there is evidence that snowmelt is advancing earlier into the year. Forest soils can actually lose nutrients to leaching if snowmelt occurs before plants are actively growing. This could be more of an issue for northern hardwoods, which depend on nutrient-rich soils.