Claims have been made on social media about how exploding trees could occur due to extremely cold temperatures. Trees will not explode during cold weather, but the stress the cold puts on the trees could make them split and crack.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecast "life-threatening cold" and the potential for wind chills as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius) across the Northern Plains.

A bigger threat to trees this week is the weight of snow and ice on branches, which can cause limbs to break or even topple small trees.