National Christmas tree toppledWASHINGTON (CNN) –The nation’s most energy-efficient National Christmas Tree doesn’t appear to be the nation’s most energy-resistant one. The 42-foot tall Colorado blue spruce snapped at its base Saturday morning in Washington.
While the cause of the tree toppling is yet unknown, the National Weather Service issued a “High Wind Warning” for the DC area Saturday noting that, “heavy wind gusts between 25 and 60 mph” were expected and supposed to be at their strongest right around the time a tipster told CNN the tree was downed.
The tree was trimmed over the holidays with green-hued LED lights and snowflake ornaments in an area called “The Ellipse” directly between the south lawn of the White House and the Washington Monument. The First Family lit the tree, a tradition going back 87 years, on December 9, 2010, as blues legend BB King, Maroon 5, and others performed at the ceremony. It stayed lit each evening until New Year’s Day.
According to the National Park Service, decorations are provided by sponsoring organizations in from every state and are placed in a “protective plastic globe” to protect them from bad weather. A phone call to the Park Service to determine if the tree will again be hoisted wasn’t immediately returned.
http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/19/national-christmas-tree-toppled/
