After a cold winter with temperatures reaching -9°C, leaf drop, bark splitting and necrosis of shoots or branches are observed.
In spring, new growth will emerge from the buds that were not destroyed. The farmer should leave the trees unpruned until July to enable him to identify the damaged parts. He then removes all the dead parts down to the healthy wood. Although frost is considered destructive, in some areas it provides an opportunity for renewed pruning of olive groves. Young trees are more sensitive to cold than mature trees.