Winter videos of trees making loud, gunshot-like bangs have been all over social media lately.
You might be wondering whether those booming cracks mean trees are literally exploding. It’s dramatic and unsettling to hear—like a gunshot or firecracker pop! So, what is happening? Are trees exploding? How can we keep our RVs safe? Read on for the answers.
BOOM!
When temperatures plunge fast, water inside a tree (sap, which contains a lot of water) can freeze. Ice takes up more volume than liquid water, and that expansion can put huge mechanical stress on bark and wood.
If the outer layers and inner wood cool or contract at different rates, the bark will split along the grain in a “frost crack.” Sometimes this happens with enough force to produce a loud boom. Experts explain that this sudden splitting is what people hear.
Frost crack
True, complete “explosions” of a tree are extremely rare. What you’re far more likely to hear are single, sharp cracks or vertical splits in trunks and large limbs.
These events are more common during extreme cold snaps where temperatures fall well below zero. This effect increases if the tree is sun-warmed or already wounded.
Scientists and extension specialists emphasize that while the noise is startling, catastrophic bursts that blow a tree into pieces are exceptional.
Most vulnerable
Thin-barked species and younger trees are the most vulnerable to frost cracking. Trees that get a lot of sun on their south or southwest sides during winter will warm up during the day. Then they rapidly refreeze at night. This creates a classic setup for a frost crack.
Trees already weakened by disease, previous sunscald, physical injury, or internal decay are also more likely to split when their sap freezes.
Practical steps
If you’re choosing a campsite where sub-zero temps are forecast, park in open spots or lots with well-spaced mature trees. After a severe freeze, don’t camp or park directly beneath trees that show fresh vertical splits or hanging limbs.
If you notice a freshly split trunk or a large, cracked limb near where you’re camping, move the rig a safe distance away. When in doubt, treat it like any other dangerous storm hazard and give it room.
Myth-busting note for RVers
Social posts that treat “exploding trees” like a newly discovered threat overstate the odds. Foresters and university extension services are clear: The phenomenon has a well-known physical cause and a known set of risk factors.
What about the videos of trees exploding? Artificial intelligence. For example, videos like the one below are widely circulating online. They are not real.
That doesn’t make it unimportant—it just means you can plan around it. If you value the shade trees at a campsite, be proactive and give both them and your RV a little extra space during deep freezes.
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RVT1246b
The Lakota referred to this time of year as “The Moon of Popping Trees.” Hardly a new phenomenon! There is also a book on the Wounded Knee Massacre with that title.
The Akta Lakota Museum in Chamberlain, SD (put it on your visit list) gives the following info on the Lakota Seasons. They translate as “cracking” vs “popping.”
https://aktalakota.stjo.org/lakota-seasons-moon-phases/
Thanks, Mikal. This is great information. I’m familiar with St. Joseph Indian School and support their work. I didn’t know they had a museum and cultural center as part of their outreach. It’s going on my “must see” list.
St Joe’s has long been a charity my wife and I have strongly supported financially. Unfortunately they don’t get high marks from some charity watch groups because, being part of the Catholic church, they don’t share detailed financial info. But they do great work.
On one visit we asked for, and received, a private tour of the campus. We visited classrooms and the dorms and were able to talk to students and staff. 👍
A perfectly clean cut on the bottom was a dead giveaway.
I had a Japanese flowering cherry split during the Polar Vortex years ago, but it never exploded. In fact it lived for another 10 years until the ants invaded the tree through the split.
agreed, manufactured video. look at the split also.
My husband has spent 50 years as a Northwoods forester. The phenomenon is very real. He has narrowly missed being speared by a shard of exploding tree.
When I lived in Denver and a rare spring snowstorm arrived, the heavy snow could break off branches with a loud ‘crack’ almost like a gunshot. Very common in some areas. But trees ‘exploding?’
this is most likely AI generated, look at the tree bottom. It has been clearly cut off.
That’s true, Larry. That’s why above the video it says, “What about the videos of trees exploding? Artificial intelligence. For example, videos like the one below are widely circulating online. They are not real.” Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com