Who ever heard of planting trees in the winter? We have had a cold Dec. and received notice from the city that they will be planting a Little Leaf Linden in our tree lawn within the next few weeks. Isn't this a waste of taxpayers' money?
It's been snowy and below freezing for a month. The local winter begins climatologically on Dec 1st.

Late Fall and Early winter is the best time to plant trees. But don't worry if it doesn't live they will dip into your pocket again and again.

The ground is a very good insulator against the cold. Any tree which has been harvested and is sitting above the ground has the best chance of survival in the ground. Tree roots can not tolerate temperatures much below freezing. The best place for a tree is in the ground. Yes, I have heard of planting trees in December when it's necessary to break through the top 2" of frozen soil. By the way - those trees did survive the winter.