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

If you’ve been online lately, you may have seen alarming headlines claiming that “exploding trees” are waking people up across the country. The reports describe a loud bang in the middle of the night, ...

When temperatures plunge and the air goes painfully still, people in northern forests sometimes hear a sharp crack that ...

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 ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A viral social media post shared thousands of times warned of an “exploding tree risk” as temperatures in the Northern Plains and ...

Most trees are dormant through the winter's coldest months.

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 ...

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 ...

This weekend, much of the United States is expecting to be hit with a polar vortex with extreme cold — cold that's icy, bone-chilling and … explosive? As people prepare for these frigid temperatures, ...

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 ...