Exploding trees in Minnesota's cold snap: Fact vs. fiction

Between the lines: That level of extreme cold can cause a tree's bark to crack open, or its limbs to snap off — often with a gunshot-like bang, USA Today reported.

• That's because tree sap expands when it freezes, putting pressure on the tree's insides.

Reality check: Trees blowing up "like there's gonna be a freakin' Michael Bay movie in these woods" is unlikely, KSTP's Matt Serwe clapped back on Instagram.

• It's not that trees don't explode — they're just rare, experts told WBAY-TV.