Has anyone seen or heard of a tree exploding due to extreme cold?

Question

There's been talk of trees "exploding" due to drastic temperature change, with some areas dropping over 50 degrees in the last 24 hrs. Has anyone witnessed this?

On a side note, they don't actually explode, they crack.

OneViewpoint · Accepted Answer

Not cracking from the cold. But I have about 7 or 8 white pines that are 50 ish feet tall on the border between my property and my neighbors property. They serve as a sort of screen between our 2 pool areas. One day during a heavy snow and ice storm I heard what sounded like a fucking cannon shot outside. Much louder than a rifle shot.

I went outside to check out the noise and one of the huge branches on one of the white pine trees had just snapped from what must have been thousands of pounds of snow and ice weighing it down. This went on for about 2 days with several more limbs snapping at random times. The sound was incredible. Never happened before or since.

MikeTheBartender · Accepted Answer

Chatgpt agrees:

Sort of—they don’t explode like bombs, but in extreme cold a tree can split suddenly with a loud bang. When temperatures drop fast, the water inside the tree freezes and expands while the outer wood contracts, creating stress that can cause the trunk to crack (called frost cracking). It can sound like a gunshot, especially at night, but it’s really the wood tearing—not an actual explosion. 🌲❄️

Beckybooboo · Accepted Answer

I've never heard of trees exploding in my entire life lol Granted, I've only lived in WI for three years but others that lived here for their entire life, including my husband, have never heard of it. He did say that he's heard of the ground cracking and making a big bang but never trees. Have you heard of it when you lived here?

msmissydc · Accepted Answer

Yeah, happened when I was a child near our home. Some days with a lot of rain followed by a temoerature shift from warmish to freezing temperatures. The three bassically split in half.

MrChinaski · Answer

It sound plausible. Unlike 99% of known substances, water expands when it freezes. Plants have cell walls. If enough burst in a hurry you could get visible cracking, I suppose. I haven't seen it, but it sounds nifty.

MikeMcMansion · Answer

Yes down south certain trees will split and die especially of the shift in temp is quick enough, the cracking is due to ice building up on the limbs and the limbs cracking from the weight and the addition of wind putting pressure on them.

I got drunk and watched this entire process happen sitting on a hill way out in the boonies with a friend once.

genericname85 · Answer

there's a very specific instance in which that can happen. if a tree grow into or through very narrow rock cracks, then since water expands when freezing, the moisture in the tree can make the rock around it explode as it freezes. i guess a tree itself can form cracks when freezing the same way but i highly doubt that it would ever "explode". just crack.

RandomGirl42 · Answer

I have heard them snapping in cold weather but not to "exploding" point but I have seen them just snap like tooth picks under ice and snow and that's rather like an explosion.

On_cloud_wine · Answer

exploding is definitely the wrong terminology

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

No, but you never know if or when it can happen.

Staximus · Answer

My dad said this happened when he lived in North Carolina and there was an ice storm

Mike_Hum · Answer

I read about it recently. Fucking wild.

unsteadydreadfeeling · Answer

not yet but is depends on what is.

In_Trance · Answer

No..

Has anyone seen or heard of a tree exploding due to extreme cold?

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Has anyone seen or heard of a tree exploding due to extreme cold?

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