Hi Brad
This time of year the supers are filled with liquid nectar so hive is very heavy
and won't blow over easily, might put a brick on the cover ..
But the straight line winds like we had Saturday night could destroy anything.
Re crest of the hill vs leeward side .. I would probably think about a sheltered
area. All my hives sit behind abandoned barns on CRP land. Here in Nebraska we
have some mild winters when it doesn't matter, then we have ones like last year
where its bitter cold for 3 months and hive loses are high. By having them
behing some type of windbreak, it helps. You could also plan on wrapping
the hives this fall if you left them sit where they are.
Dave
Not far from Plattsmoth at Liberty, NE