Frost cracking in trees, may lead to loud "explosion" type noises over central Wisconsin as the arctic air arrives

Tree sap is mostly water with sugars and minerals, and like many liquids, it expands when it freezes. Gradual freezes usually don’t harm trees — even if it gradually cools to subzero — but plunging temperature swings cause uneven freezing and internal pressure. This stress can crack the bark and wood, producing what sounds like a loud pop.

As extreme cold grips large portions of the U.S. this week, residents in several states have reported startling noises coming from trees, loud cracks and pops that some have likened to small explosions, according to Men’s Journal.

Meteorologists are warning that an incoming subzero cold snap comes with an increased risk of "exploding trees." Arborists say it's a real thing that

Swaying trees crackled amid frigid temperatures in northern Minnesota as an arctic mass swept the region on Thursday2.This footage filmed and posted to X by Sharyl Zeno captures trees creaking and crackling as they sway in the wind along the Gunflint Trail in northeastern Minnesota on Thursday.

Massachusetts probably won’t see the kind of extreme cold necessary for trees to split this weekend. Some parts of the Berkshires could see low temperatures of -6 degrees on Friday night into Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service, but that won’t be enough to cause any woodland “explosions.”