Oh God! People are saying that it is so cold that trees will burst. That viral claim may be exaggerated
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We’re not even a month into 2026, and with everything going on, we now have to deal with exploding trees? In fact?
No, not completely.
Canada and much of the northern United States are experiencing a deep freeze, with temperatures falling below -20 C. -40 C with wind chill In some places – Canada and much of the US in the coming days.
As people in these areas face frigid temperatures caused by the polar vortex disruption, which is pushing Arctic air into the US Deep South, a viral social media post It was claimed that seven states from North and South Dakota to Michigan would get so cold that trees would burst.
Extreme cold will actually be severe enough to put people at risk, and it will contribute to huge and potentially dangerous storm It will spread to about 30 states between Friday and Monday — though trees won’t necessarily fall apart on their own.
“You may have seen a post about the possibility of tree bursts in Minnesota due to falling temperatures,” the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wrote in an article. facebook post. “Fortunately, there is no need to stay out of the woods to avoid this risk.”
But this does not mean that the claim is completely false. Here’s a rundown on whether there’s a risk of a “tree explosion” this bitter season — and other ways extreme temperature changes could speed things up.
How is this even possible?
When temperatures drop significantly and suddenly, it can cause frost cracks, Simon Peacock said. ISA-Certified Arborist With Green Drop Tree Care in Winnipeg.
“This is a strange phenomenon, more common in trees with thin bark,” he said, explaining that it occurs more frequently in the prairies.
These vertical splits can sometimes extend the length of the trunk, and when this happens it can be quite loud – feeling like, some might say, an explosion.
The sudden cold snap causes water and sap inside the tree to freeze rapidly, said Bill McEnany, forest health specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“When it does that, like the ice cubes in your freezer, it expands very quickly,” McNee explained. milwaukee journal sentinel. The “physical pressure” could cause the tree to break and branches to fall, he said.
Peacock said the breaks do not harm the tree and will heal as temperatures rise in the summer – although they may open again in the winter.
Repeated breaking and healing can lead to permanent erection “frosty ribs“Or the scar on the torso.
If the crack is deep enough, Peacock said, there is a risk that bacteria that cause wood decay could enter the tree, and a certified arborist should be consulted to mitigate this.
are hardwood trees prone Cracking occurs because they lose their leaves in winter, or because they are excessively pruned, whereas evergreen trees retain their leaves year-round.
Species that are more frequently affected can include Elm, poplar, some types of maple, oak, ash and aspen trees, as well as fruit trees such as apple, peach and cherry.
Peacock said it is often non-native species of trees, such as silver maple or some linden trees, that are most at risk of breaking when extreme cold hits, while native trees have adapted to tolerate the cold temperatures.
He said it was “extremely rare” to see a tree suffer “extreme” damage, as shown in Some social media posts, And most people don’t even realize it until sometime after the crack is resealed – or until they hear that unexpected boom in their backyard.
What else could ‘explode’ in extreme cold?
Trees alone can’t make a dramatic recovery when temperatures drop dramatically.
Have you heard of “Thundersnow” or “Frost Quake”? Both these shocking incidents can happen in winter also.
frost earthquakeS, also known as cryozismOccurs when there is a lot of water in the ground, either from rain or melting snow, and it freezes rapidly.
Underground ice expands and puts pressure on the soil and rock, eventually causing cracks.
In addition to being strong, frost earthquakes can produce shocks strong enough to shake buildings like an earthquake, which also occurred in ottawa in 2022 After rapid changes in temperature.
snowfall with thunderstorms, which occurred during a March 2023 storm in southern OntarioA rare effect that can occur when moist air in a winter storm – with high snowfall – is warm at the surface but meets cold air higher in the atmosphere.
This creates instability, such as summer thunderstorms and lightning.
But in a winter storm, falling snow can actually amplify the sound of thunder spectacularly.
Look CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaff explains about a strange winter phenomenon (2017):
