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

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A viral social media post warned Midwesterners about the dangers of "exploding trees" as extreme cold weather hits the region. But ...

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 ...

A viral social media post shared thousands of times warned of an “exploding tree risk." But experts say the dramatic imagery ...

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 ...