With winter storms and a deep freeze over the northern United States, meteorologists on social media have created a different kind of storm with talk of exploding trees. But how real is the risk of ...

From frozen iguanas falling from the sky to spinning circles of ice on rivers, rare natural events related to the weather remind us that nature doesn't always behave as expected. Whether it's ...

Social media posts warning of "exploding trees" in subzero temperatures are mischaracterizing a phenomenon known as frost cracks. Frost cracks form when water inside trees freezes and expands. As a ...

When temperatures plunge and the air goes painfully still, people in northern forests sometimes hear a sharp crack that sounds like a gunshot. That eerie noise has fueled a viral claim that trees ...

Trees don't explode in cold temperatures, but they can develop a frost crack, or vertical fissure in the tree trunk.

Falling hazards from burned trees are only a few of the issues to consider following fire. Trees weakened by fire are ...