After warnings about “exploding trees” went viral this winter, a local arborist says he did not hear any reports of it occurring.

“I have not heard or seen of any explosions happening in the woods,” arborist Luke Brunner says. He works with the Davey Tree Company.

“I think there was a lot of concern behind it….I had multiple phone calls asking about it,” Brunner continues.

However, he says if anyone did hear unusual sounds coming from a nearby tree trunk, it was likely frost cracking, a common occurrence during winter. Frost cracking occurs when sunlight warms the interior of a tree during the day, and temperatures then drop sharply at night, leading to water inside the trunk freezing and expanding, resulting in a popping sound.

Brunner says ice and snow pose a greater risk to trees. Heavy accumulation can weigh down branches, especially those with dead wood or structural weaknesses, increasing the likelihood of limbs breaking and falling.