Trees Are Gonna Explode in the Cold! Nope.

There’s a lot of hand wringing on social media about upcoming frigid, way-below zero temperatures causing trees to explode. While all the chicken-littling is amusing, it also misses the cool thing that is actually happening to trees in extremely cold weather.

Here is what the Minnesota DNR posted on Facebook on January 21 to help people understand the cracking sounds that can be heard during a really cold spell. 

“ Ope, the story about exploding trees really blew up! 🤯 Snap, crackle, pop - is that the sound of exploding trees!? Thankfully not.

You may have seen a post circulating about the possibility of trees in Minnesota exploding due to plummeting temperatures. Luckily, there's no need to stay out of the woods to avoid this risk.

Our forest health experts explained that our native trees are adapted to Minnesota's weather, including below-zero temps. What you may hear are the boom or pop of 'frost cracks,' which are vertical cracks in the wood caused by rapid temperature drop when the water and sap in the phloem and xylem freeze and expand. Trees with thin bark, like maples and birch, may be more susceptible, but the damage is rarely deadly to the tree.

There are also the creaks and groans of wood tightening and contracting in the cold - which you might also hear from your wooden floors!” 

So if you hear one of those cracks, you know what’s happening. And you know you’re safe from the fictional scourge of exploding trees!