Social media posts warning of "exploding trees" in subzero temperatures are mischaracterizing a phenomenon known as frost cracks. Frost cracks form when water inside trees freezes and expands. As a ...

Frost cracks appear as vertical splits in the trunk of a tree and are the result of plant tissue expansion and contraction.

When temperatures plunge and the air goes painfully still, people in northern forests sometimes hear a sharp crack that sounds like a gunshot. That eerie noise has fueled a viral claim that trees ...

If you’ve been online lately, you may have seen alarming headlines claiming that “exploding trees” are waking people up across the country. The reports describe a loud bang in the middle of the night, ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Temperatures are going to be frigid across much of Canada and the U.S. this weekend — cold enough, according to a viral social ...

Chicago residents are weathering a dangerous cold snap this week — but so are the trees. After a post on X warning of “exploding trees” went viral on social media ahead of this week’s polar vortex, ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Can trees explode in frigid weather? As Minnesota is home to thousands of firs and oaks, the concept of an exploding tree is ...