America’s National Christmas Tree fell over in front of the White House on Tuesday afternoon due to high winter winds.
The tree, a 40-foot Norway spruce from West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, had been planted just two weeks ago on the White House Ellipse, an area known as President’s Park.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), it fell over around 1pm on Tuesday amid heavy gusts that reached as high as 46 mph at nearby Reagan National Airport.
NPS spokeswoman Jasmine Shanti said in an email that after “replacing a snapped cable,” the tree was back upright by 6pm on Tuesday.
The lighting of the tree is an annual White House holiday tradition with a countdown and musical performances.
This year’s tree is a new one, replacing an older tree that, according to NPS, developed a fungal disease known as “needle cast” that caused its needles to turn brown and fall off.
The tree was scheduled to be lit on Thursday, but there was no indication from the White House over whether or not Tuesday’s tumble would delay that.
The Christmas tree outside the US Capitol building was lit successfully Tuesday.
