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

Peter Elliott at 13 ON YOUR SIDE said it plainly: the videos, the maps, and the memes make it sound like something out of an action movie – trees “exploding” in the bitter cold – so he set out to ask ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Heavy snow fall, not explosions, are far more threatening to trees and yourself. “EXPLODING TREES are possible in the Midwest and ...

John Seiler was strolling across Virginia Tech’s campus with his students Thursday morning when something stopped them in their tracks: a sweet cherry tree with an unusual jagged scar running along ...

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 ...

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, ...

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Social media posts warning about “exploding trees” during frigid temperatures are misleading, according to a local arborist. The phenomenon referenced in viral posts is ...

Experts say trees do not explode but can crack loudly due to rapid temperature changes. This phenomenon, known as "frost cracking," occurs when tree sap freezes and expands. Young trees, thin-barked ...

Severe cold temperatures hitting much of the country this week could branch out − literally. As people brace for the winter weather, some social media posts in recent days have warned of the chance ...

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?