Spots on an Apple Tree Trunk

[Sooner]

Doesn't quite feel right asking a dumb question knowing whats going on up North etc but, was building a flower bed frame for the MIL last night and we were checking out her apple tree blooms. She has two sets of absolutely yummy apples on this tree. The one side has a lot less blooms and it seems like those branches and trunk that have no blooms, have these white spots all over them. The blooming side does not. Looks like someone took a brush with white paint and splattered the tree. I trim here tree and pick the high apples every year and I don't recall seeing these spots last year.

Any ideas? I didn't have my camera so no pics yet. Doing a google search too.

Thanks