A viral social media post shared thousands of times warned of an “exploding tree risk."

As an Arctic blast settles over the northern United States, a viral warning has seized social media: it is going to get so cold that trees will literally explode. The phrase is dramatic, but it is rooted in a real winter phenomenon that can turn quiet forests into something that sounds like a rifle range.

Despite recent viral social media claims, trees do not literally “explode” like bombs in extreme cold. What happens instead is a natural physical response to rapid and severe temperature drops. When temperatures plunge well below freezing, moisture and sap inside a tree’s wood can freeze.

Can trees really explode in the extreme cold? Rumors are spreading on social media that the frigid temperatures in the Upper Midwest this week could mean exploding trees. FOX 9's Cody Matz breaks down this viral claim.