Property owners may find themselves this time of the year keeping a close eye on trees that could potentially be brought down on their homes by ice, winds and heavy snow.

There are, however, some things homeowners can look out for to know when a tree could present a problem.

That tree or large limb you've spotted, concerned about the damage it could cause this winter season?

It’s Carlos Lozano’s job to service them.

“It's going to get snow on it. It's going to turn into ice. You're getting winds. All those factors are going to hit the tree, and can cause a hazard," said Lozano.

That doesn’t mean just cutting them down.

Lozano, the owner of the Middletown branch of Joshua Tree Experts, says pruning dead limbs can keep trees healthy and reduce risk, without needing to take the whole thing down.

So how can you tell if a tree has dead branches?

“During the summer, do we have a lot of foliage on it? If you've seen decreased foliage, that's kind of like your first indication of something's going on," he said. "So it's not an instant thing. You want to look at it, do it throughout the time.”

But even a full, healthy tree can present a problem if it’s limb-heavy, top-functioning, like the sail of a boat.

“And you have winds that's pushing against that tree, right? At some point, that tree is going to give," Lozano said. "So you really want to go in there, prune it, thin it out a little bit, allow the wind to pass through the tree.”

Lozano said to think of a tree like your outdoor investment to ensure that come heavy snow, wind and ice, you won’t have to worry.

“They have to be taken care of," he said. "They need to be groomed. They need to be fed. We need to take care of them properly. If something happens, let's address it.”