"With a major winter storm about to blast pretty much every US state east of the Rocky Mountains, many are scrambling to prepare for the cold, ice, and snow. And according to popular meteorology influencer Max Schuster, there's yet another winter-weather hazard to watch out for: trees exploding in the frigid air. On a viral post on X-formerly-Twitter, Schuster - who holds a meteorology degree"
"While the claim may sound far fetched, a number of legitimate publications have come out of the woodwork to back the assertion, suggesting that sap and moisture from within the trees can indeed expand so rapidly that the tree's structure simply can't hold it. As with anything originating from the internet, the reality is more mundane than viral post suggests. Yes, it can and does happen - though midwestern forests aren't about to start popping like corn kernels."
A major winter storm will impact most US states east of the Rocky Mountains, bringing cold, ice, and snow. An area of elevated exploding-tree risk centers on the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and northern Michigan as temperatures are forecast to plunge well below zero. Rapid freezing of sap and internal moisture can cause expansion that creates frost cracks or sudden structural failure, sometimes with loud bangs. Such events do occur but are generally localized rather than widespread. The physical mechanism resembles the rapid expansion of freezing water creating stress in trunks and branches.
Read at Futurism
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