Extreme Cold Causes Hazardous Conditions for Drivers and Spreads Rumors About Trees

Warnings of "exploding trees" have been circulating on social media - while the truth is not so dramatic, the sudden drop in temperature can cause some fracturing to tree trunks and limbs.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – The North Dakota Highway Patrol has seen traffic accidents begin to stack up in Fargo-Moorhead this week, and that will likely only continue as weather conditions deteriorate.

“People are just driving too fast for those conditions,” said Captain Bryan Niewind.

He, like most sensible folk, would rather you stay inside given the upcoming temperatures, but, if you must venture out, be prepared – and, if you get stranded, call for help, stay vigilant, and check your tailpipe.

Though driving may be unsafe, it’s not necessarily like being outside on foot would be any better.

Claims of exploding trees are currently going viral on social media – and while that title is definitely is an oversell of the phenomenon, these unique weather conditions can actually cause significant “frost cracks” that are accompanied by loud sounds.

“The outside of the tree will freeze first, and then those tubes – when that sap freezes, there’s nowhere for it to expand to,” explained Rebecca Struck, outdoors enthusiast and photographer. “Then what happens is the ‘exploding tree’ – it will split, and a lot of times it will sound like a big bang, like a gunshot or a firecracker.”

Struck shared the information on her Facebook page and was met with a lot of incredulity.

While the trees won’t literally explode, a potential breaking trunk or falling branch could be lethal under certain circumstances.

Forestry specialists say frost cracking is fairly common, but extreme drops in temperature exacerbate the issue, because the exterior of the tree gets so much colder than the inside that the contracting forces are much stronger.