Recent winter storms across North America have sparked viral social media posts warning of a dramatic phenomenon: exploding ...

It turns out that trees can actually explode when temperatures drop.

Social media posts warned of "exploding trees" when temperatures drop to 20 degrees below zero.

Tree sap is mostly water with sugars and minerals, and like many liquids, it expands when it freezes. Gradual freezes usually ...

Exploding trees? Extreme cold snaps in Chicago can cause trees to crack and burst from freezing stress. Tree experts explain ...

Weather Forecaster Kendra Heath breaks down the rare instance of exploding trees.

We're not even one month into 2026, and with everything that's happening, now we have to deal with exploding trees? No, not ...

Sudden or severe cold temperature can cause trees to experience "frost crack." NPR's Scott Simon talks with Bill McNee of the ...

Exploding trees. It doesn't quite happen the way it’s portrayed on social media.

Trees don’t actually explode in the cold, but sometimes, they can sound like they are. The phenomenon, formally called frost cracks, can happen when there is a sudden drop in temperature.

What to know before the extreme cold settles in.

Mechanism of Frost Cracks: When the temperature falls sharply, the liquid inside trees expands as it freezes, creating physical pressure that can result in vertical splits along the trunk. These ...