A viral social media post shared thousands of times warned of an “exploding tree risk” as temperatures from the Northern Plains to Great Lakes are set to plunge below zero from Friday, Jan. 23, to ...

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 ...

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 ...

Chip Murrow had never heard the term "exploding trees" in his 30 years as a forester for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Is there a danger of exploding trees in Iowa? And how does it happen?

Every time arctic air drops south, and temperatures plummet well below zero, social media lights up with a scary (and slightly cinematic) rumor called "exploding trees." Videos circulate of loud, ...

With winter storms and a deep freeze over the northern United States, meteorologists on social media have created a different kind of storm with talk of exploding trees. But how real is the risk of ...

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, ...

One expert suggested the phenomenon is actually called "frost cracking" Abigail Adams is a Human Interest Writer-Reporter for PEOPLE. Getty A social media post suggested "exploding trees are possible" ...

Trees don't explode in cold temperatures, but they can develop a frost crack, or vertical fissure in the tree trunk.