1.   The roses have already started to put out new buds.

2.   But come frost, they turn a coppery brown and fall from the twiggy branches only when pushed off by the new pale green buds of spring.

3.   Leaving the dead flowers on may provide some winter protection for the new buds.

4.   Spring means that trees and new buds are tapping what water is available in the ground to grow.

5.   Schools were closed in southeastern Wyoming and northeastern Colorado, and scattered power outages also were reported as tree branches were weighed down by snow collecting on new buds.