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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

If this winter hasn’t been cold enough for you, imagine how a tree “explosion” could make it worse. As temperatures drop in multiple states across the United States, a viral social media post of the ...

DETROIT (WWJ) – A rumor regarding “exploding trees” has been circulating online, but experts said that is not exactly what happens to trees in cold weather. Bert Cregg is a professor of horticulture ...

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 ...