Kansai

There's the sun belt and the bible belt, and then there's the ice belt. I'm pretty much dead center ice belt. Most of our winter precipitation comes in the form of ice, sleet or frozen rain.

Actually the plants don't mind it a bit until it builds up around a half-inch thick. More than that and the tree limbs and power lines start coming down. One inch is widespread damage, and 1 1/2 inch is devastation. We had 1 1/2" predicted this last ice storm, but only got 3/4". The little stuff is impervious, however. At bonsai size the ice structure is self supporting. You don't have to worry about the bonsai limbs crashing down on your house.

But no, the ice doesn't hurt the trees at all. It may seem counterintuitive, but if it's ten below zero--Fahrenheit of course--a tree with a 1/4" coating of ice will be much better off than a tree without.

DR

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Bonsai is easy! All you have to do is stare at a little tree until drops of blood form on your forehead.--paraphrased from Gene Fowler