Can Trees Really ‘Explode’ in Extreme Cold? The Winter Phenomenon Explained

I remember, all too well, standing outside in the parking lot the night the ice storm hit Owensboro in 2009. Having never experienced anything like it, I was startled by flashes of blue-green light in the distance, followed by explosions. Transformers and historic freezing rain don't make good companions.

I'd have to say that if what I learned earlier today happened within earshot, those "audible memories" would rush right back. And I'd probably be frozen on the spot, maybe literally.

Can Trees 'Explode' in Extreme Cold?

While searching for video content of brutal Winter Storm Fern, I was tipped off to a clip recorded in the Nashville, Tennessee suburb of Franklin. Like so many blanketing social media, this videographer was driving through town, showing us all the frozen trees (just like 2009), and then she offered explanation of a phenomenon I didn't know was possible.

I suppose if someone had asked me if the sap inside of trees could freeze in extreme cold, I'd guess that it probably could. It's liquid, so why not? But that whole explosion thing is something I would never have come up with.

Frost Cracking

I went to YouTube and was not disappointed. I found plenty of explanations of what's known as "frost cracking." From a distance, you can understand why some people call it "exploding." Experts won't call it that, but one did say you might think you heard a gunshot. That would be more than enough to skedaddle.

If you're ever in a wooded area, and you notice large cracks in a tree, it's probably because that tree "cracked."

Thank you, Winter Storm Fern. In spite of all your drama, you made me learn something today.