US Arctic Blast: Are Trees Really 'Exploding' in Freezing Temperatures?

• The US is experiencing a severe Arctic blast with record-breaking low temperatures, impacting millions across the Midwest and northern plains.
• Social media claims of 'exploding' trees are linked to frost cracking, a phenomenon where sap freezes and expands, causing trees to crack loudly.
• Frost cracking occurs below -20°F, leading to loud bangs, broken branches, and deep trunk cracks, especially in older or high-moisture trees.
• States like North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin face historically low temperatures and dangerous wind chills, prompting life-threatening cold warnings.
• The extreme cold is attributed to a disrupted polar vortex, with scientists warning of more frequent such events due to climate change.

Why It Matters: Trees 'explode' due to frost cracking in extreme cold, a phenomenon linked to a disrupted polar vortex.