Trees exploding due to extreme cold? A predicted chilly end to January has sparked new concerns among some. A self-claimed meteorologist online said that ‘exploding trees’ were a possibility in the Midwest and Northern Plains on Friday and Saturday.
“EXPLODING TREES are possible in the Midwest and Northern Plains on Friday and Saturday, as temperatures are forecasted to fall 20 degrees BELOW zero!,” a person going by Max Velocity wrote on X, sharing a map below.
The post on January 21 has been viewed 9 million times at the time of writing. It sparked concerns among many.
{{/usCountry}}The post on January 21 has been viewed 9 million times at the time of writing. It sparked concerns among many.
{{/usCountry}}“You serious?! How often do trees explode and how big is the explosion?,” one person asked. Another added, “I don’t have explosive trees on my 2026 bingo card.”
The announcement comes in light of the Polar Vortex prediction, which might end up impacting around 170 million people. A polar vortex is a broad region of low pressure and frigid air that surrounds the earth's poles, as per the National Weather Service (NWS). Minnesota, the Dakotas and New England, including northern Florida could be impacted by this. Cities that might face the brunt include Fargo, Minneapolis, Des Moines, St Louis, Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, New York, and Boston.
Also Read | Arctic air spreads across the US: Which states face a Polar Vortex threat? Full list
While many ready to batten down the hatches in light of the possible cold spell, an expert has allayed fears about ‘exploding trees’.
What to know about exploding trees?
WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak has provided clarity on what exactly happens to make trees explode. While trees could be impacted by swings in cold temperatures, a cold snap leading to ‘exploding trees’ is inaccurate, CBS News reported him say.
At least, the way the X post suggests, an explosion is not likely to take place, the expert opined. “(The post is) definitely clickbait, but yes, the water in trees can expand if it freezes rapidly,” he said.
As per the expert, there have already been cold days before, so the water inside the trees would have frozen many weeks back. However, if there was snap cooldown after a milder period, then there could be a chance of ‘exploding trees’.
“Going from negative 3 to negative 20 is not a big deal,” the meteorologist added. However, in places like Minnesota, it has been cold already, so the chances of trees exploding due to a sudden fall in temperature is unlikely.