Jan. 27, 2026, 12:47 p.m. ET
Bitterly cold arctic air has blanketed parts of the United States over the last week, with some areas getting snow and subzero temperatures. Along with the cold weather comes a natural event called frost cracks, which are the true culprit behind the viral “exploding trees” phenomenon flooding social media platforms.
While it might look like trees are suddenly “exploding,” that’s not necessarily what’s happening. Frost cracks are the real reason behind trees breaking.
The incidents are caused by a sudden drop in temperature and can cause branches to fall off, Bill McNee, a forest health specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
These longitudinal frost cracks can run the full length of a tree and are accompanied by a loud “bang,” according to the Wisconsin DNR. McNee added that frost cracks occur because the thick sap inside a tree freezes at a colder temperature than water and usually stays liquid even when temperatures are well below freezing – a state known as “supercooling.” However, it would be extremely rare for a tree to fully explode because of it, McNee said.
But videos shared on social media during the winter blast appear to show the dramatic breakage: a loud crack followed by fallen branches. Other posts catch the sound of the tree slowly cracking as the sap freezes and expands.
Watch trees break apart in the video at the top of this story.
“It’s going to get cold enough that this sap may actually finally freeze. And when it does that, like ice cubes in your freezer, they expand very quickly,” McNee told the Journal Sentinel. “That just creates a lot of physical pressure that can lead to the frost cracking appearing suddenly, branches can fall off, and people hear this really loud crack from their tree, almost like it’s a gunshot.”
Winter weather could continue this weekend. Parts of the East Coast specifically could see more wintry precipitation as well as snow, ice and extreme cold that other areas of the United States are already battling.
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.
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