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 ...

As we head into the weekend, a major winter storm system is going to slide some of the coldest air we’ve felt in years right over Michigan - and we’re going to be in a deep freeze for a few days. How ...

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, ...

Online rumors claim extreme cold causes trees to explode, but experts say the truth is less dramatic. Freezing temperatures cause sap and moisture to contract, creating "cracking" sounds without the ...

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 ...

As Wisconsin and much of the upper Midwest prepare for rapidly dropping subzero temperatures, some viral social media posts warn people to watch out for "exploding trees." The phenomenon, while ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Videos have gone viral on social media of loud, gunshot-like bangs in forests, with users dubbing them "exploding trees." They're ...

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 drop suddenly, trapped water can freeze and expand, splitting trunks with a gunshot-like sound During the recent cold spell in the northern US, meteorologists issued warnings about ...