An intense Arctic air mass sweeping across large parts of the United States has triggered warnings of an unusual winter hazard “exploding trees” in states including Michigan and Minnesota, as temperatures plunge well below freezing.
According to forecasts, maximum temperatures on Friday and Saturday are expected to stay in the single digits, while morning lows through the weekend could drop at least 10°F below zero, accompanied by dangerous wind chills. The National Weather Service has warned that the extreme cold could also lead to hazardous travel, power outages and burst water pipes.
Meteorologist Max Velocity issued an “exploding tree” risk alert for much of Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula and parts of the Lower Peninsula, as well as across Minnesota and nearby regions. The phenomenon occurs when sap inside trees freezes rapidly, expands and puts pressure on the bark, sometimes causing it to split with a loud cracking or gunshot-like sound.
The National Forest Foundation explains that while trees have natural adaptations to survive cold weather, sudden and extreme temperature drops can overwhelm those defenses. When frozen sap expands inside the trunk, it can cause the bark to rupture and branches to fall.
Experts say the event may sound dramatic but rarely poses serious danger to people. West Texas A&M University physicist Christopher Baird notes that trees contain thousands of small fluid channels, and damage to a few of them does not usually kill the tree or create widespread risk.
As the Arctic blast continues to move east, authorities are urging residents to stay alert, limit outdoor exposure during extreme cold and watch for falling branches in heavily wooded areas.