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