Local meteorologists warned that when coupled with wind chill, temperatures would feel as cold as minus 54 degrees. The temperatures are life-threatening to humans and can also cause trees to "explode," according to a meteorologist who warned of the phenomenon on X on Tuesday night.

As temperatures drop in Iowa this weekend, curiosity and concern about trees exploding from the cold have grown. Here's what really happens.

Dread it. Run from it. But it appears that whether we like it or not, the great blizzard of 2026 is set to hit a significant portion of the United States