Tree branches stretch straight into the winter sky on a calm day. Soft snowflakes begin to fall, settling lightly across the lengths of the branches.
The temperature holds steady near freezing, with no wind to shake the flakes loose. The snow starts as a fine dusting, covering the twigs evenly without altering the branches' upright position.
Over the next few hours, more snow arrives steadily. The layer thickens from a thin veil to a heavier coat, compressing slightly under its own weight.
The branches remain rigid initially. Gradually, as the accumulation continues, the tips start to droop, the arcs becoming more pronounced with each passing snowfall buildup.
By evening, the branches curve noticeably lower than at the start. The situation has shifted from straight and lightly capped to weighted and bowed, following the slow pile-up of snow.