Will it get so cold that the trees in your yard explode and fall over? Here's the weather science behind all the "exploding ...

As more than half of the United States braces for a powerful winter storm, some meteorologists are warning on social media that “exploding trees” are possible.

While the weight of freezing rain, ice and snow can damage branches, there is another kind of injury that comes with the extreme cold, experts say.

It turns out that trees can actually explode when temperatures drop.

Water expands as it freezes, which can create stress between the colder, contracting outer bark and the relatively warmer inner wood. That stress can cause the bark or trunk to split suddenly, ...