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.

Videos have gone viral on social media of loud, gunshot-like bangs in forests, with users dubbing them "exploding trees." They're actually known as frost cracks, and are more common than you may think.

A tree-mendous freeze. Forecasters are warning that expected subzero temperatures could cause trees to explode as a brutal cold snap is expected to wallop most of the country in the coming days. Trees may split and burst across the Midwest and Northern Plains Friday and Saturday as a bitter Arctic blast from Canada sends temperatures plunging to roughly 20 degrees below zero,

There’s a viral claim going around that “exploding trees are possible in the Midwest and Northern Plains” this weekend as sub-zero temperatures creep in from the winter storm. But is that really true?

Molly Cavaleri, a professor in tree physiology at MTU, says trees can explode, but it’s very rare and not likely to happen under the current conditions in the U.P.

Here's what you need to know to stay safe.

Massachusetts probably won’t see the kind of extreme cold necessary for trees to split this weekend. Some parts of the Berkshires could see low temperatures of -6 degrees on Friday night into Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service, but that won’t be enough to cause any woodland “explosions.”

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.