Michigan Is At Risk Of ‘Exploding Trees’ As Temperatures Plummet

When winter comes, Michiganders are constantly reminded that anything can happen. One day we're sitting in single digits, the next it's nearly 60 degrees for a weekend, and you see that guy wearing shorts, and then it's suddenly a total whiteout snowstorm, and there's a 100-car pile-up.

Get our free mobile app

Those are winter oddities, but I assure you, there is one winter oddity you've most likely never heard of: Michigan is officially on standby as this latest round of Arctic weather brings the state sub-zero temperatures.

Did you know that trees can explode completely naturally? Yeah, Mother Nature is full of surprises.

Exploding Tree Watch - What To Know

According to Meteorologist Max Velocity, this risk applies to upper West Michigan and much of the Upper Peninsula, where temperatures are projected to drop to -20 °. In Grand Rapids, we're expecting a low of -13°, so you might hear some trees pop as the temps drop into the negatives.

How Do Trees Explode In Winter?

When temperatures get exceptionally cold, strange things can happen. The South is known for its "Falling Iguanas" phenomenon, where cold-blooded iguanas are "shocked" by the cold (~40°), enter a hibernation state, and fall from trees. But the Midwest and other Northern states have an even crazier phenomenon.

READ MORE: Thundersnow? Snow Rollers? Michigan's Rare Winter Phenomena

Moisture in tree sap or syrup expands when it freezes. When the temperature drops quickly into subzero levels, the expanding moisture in the bark could eventually crack or "explode" as the pressure inside the tree becomes overwhelming. It's similar to a pipe bursting in the winter.

This happens most often to maples, ash, apple, poplar, and willow trees. Trees usually shed this moisture before winter, so it's only plummeting temps like this that have a chance of causing trees to crack. This video is a perfect representation, but apologies for the language included in the caption.

This phenomenon gets a callout in Gary Paulsen's Hatchet/Brian's Winter (that you probably had to read in 8th grade), when the main character thinks he hears gunshots, but it turns out to be the trees exploding from the cold.

So yeah, may want to steer clear of the woods this weekend...just in case.