Wintertime Espalier Linden Trees - January 2022

I've posted about my pair of horizontal cordon Greenspire Linden trees a number of times over the years - talking about their structure, how I train them, what I train them with, etc.  Most of those photos are show during some part of the growing season when they're covered with leaves or buds.  But, winter interest is a lot of why I've fallen in love with the idea of espalier.  I've always thought that the structure is never more clear than when the trees have shed their leaves.  Just look at this post from last month. But, it turns out, there's a little nuance there.  See below, a photo that I took a few days back.  

I'm not certain that I have a new answer:  when do espalier'd trees show the most structure?  When they're dormant, yes.  But, more so:  when they're covered in a little bit of snow.

Set against the grey cedar fence, the snow capped branches are highlighted and stand out. 

I have a few other trained trees that are years behind these two.  I'm looking forward to seeing them out in the snow in the coming seasons.