A tree-mendous freeze. Forecasters are warning that expected subzero temperatures could cause trees to explode as a brutal cold snap is expected to wallop most of the country in the coming days. 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 ...

With winter storms and a deep freeze over the northern United States, meteorologists on social media have created a different kind of storm with talk of exploding trees. But how real is the risk of ...

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 ...

Chicago residents are weathering a dangerous cold snap this week — but so are the trees. After a post on X warning of “exploding trees” went viral on social media ahead of this week’s polar vortex, ...

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 ...

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 of ...

Trees don't explode in cold temperatures, but they can develop a frost crack, or vertical fissure in the tree trunk.

These forecasts have prompted warnings about protecting your water pipes, dressing for the weather, and, for some reason, the possibility of “exploding” trees. Earlier this week, posts shared to ...