The internet is buzzing with talk of “exploding trees.” While it makes for a snappy headline, meteorologist Brendan Johnson explains why it’s just more misleading clickbait.

Forecasters warn an extreme winter storm could trigger rare “exploding trees” across the Upper Midwest as temperatures plunge below zero, causing sap inside trees to freeze and crack bark. The storm is expected to bring widespread snow,

We're not even one month into 2026, and with everything that's happening, now we have to deal with exploding trees? No, not entirely. But a sudden deep freeze is going to send temperatures plummeting in much of Canada and the U.

Local meteorologists warned that when coupled with wind chill, temperatures would feel as cold as minus 54 degrees. The temperatures are life-threatening to humans and can also cause trees to "explode," according to a meteorologist who warned of the phenomenon on X on Tuesday night.

It is indeed possible for trees to split apart in extreme conditions and to do so quite noisily, she said, typically when there’s a big swing in temperatures. In these instances, sap rapidly freezes when the mercury plummets and the tree expands, its trunk or limbs busting open like the buttons on a too-tight shirt after Thanksgiving dinner.

Experts say it’s extremely rare, but not completely unheard of.

There’s a phenomenon sweeping social media that you may have seen — or even searched for — called “exploding trees."