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, ...

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 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 ...