01/24/2026
No, your trees aren’t going to explode in cold temps 😂. Temperature change can cause “frost cracks,” or expand existing cracks/structural defects, so it is always good to have trees properly pruned. However, if your trees do “explode” give me a call…I’ve got chainsaws with heated handles!
Ope, the story about exploding trees really blew up! 🤯 Snap, crackle, pop - is that the sound of exploding trees!? Thankfully not.
You may have seen a post circulating about the possibility of trees in Minnesota exploding due to plummeting temperatures. Luckily, there's no need to stay out of the woods to avoid this risk.
Our forest health experts explained that our native trees are adapted to Minnesota's weather, including below-zero temps. What you may hear are the boom or pop of 'frost cracks,' which are vertical cracks in the wood caused by rapid temperature drop when the water and sap in the phloem and xylem freeze and expand. Trees with thin bark, like maples and birch, may be more susceptible, but the damage is rarely deadly to the tree.
There are also the creaks and groans of wood tightening and contracting in the cold - which you might also hear from your wooden floors!
Do you plan to venture out this weekend?
