(WLUK) — A surprising and seemingly outrageous winter warning has been circulating social media, warning Midwesterners of exploding trees ahead of this week’s cold snap.
FOX 11 Director of Meteorology Pete Petoniak says the conditions for Friday and Saturday will be just right for tree damage, but “exploding” isn’t the word he would use.
Extreme cold weather
When temperatures drop quickly to about -20 degrees, which will be the case overnight Thursday and into Friday, moisture from inside of the trees, such as sap or frost, freezes — and as it freezes, it expands, cracking or breaking the bark of the tree.
If you can safely take a photo or video of weather conditions where you are, share it with us here:
The tree doesn’t explode, but rather pops or cracks.
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When this happens, it can be loud. Some people liken the sound to a car backfiring to a gunshot in the distance.