So, if you have heard some popping sounds or cracks outside, but not sure where the sound came from, it may have been a frost quake! If it was loud, you might check your surroundings to see if you notice any cracks in the soil, rocks or pavement. Frost quakes usually happen when there is little to no snow on the ground. Frost quakes, formally known as cryoseism, occur when temperatures that have dropped below freezing (measured in Fahrenheit, not Celsius) affect water that is trapped underground. The amount of snow on the ground is also important, since it can act like an insulator for the ground.

If this happens, then you may just HEAR it! This could lead to a rapid freeze deeper into the ground. If the temperature drop is fast enough, it may not allow for the water from recent rain and melted snow in the soil to evaporate or get otherwise dispersed. and perhaps single digits by Saturday morning. Temperatures by Friday morning are expected to dive into the lower to middle teens. In Ohio, the temperature just a few days ago was in the middle to upper 40s. It takes a few things to make a frost quake possible. One such quake was reported in Wisconsin and caused a 100-foot crack in a driveway. People report hearing loud booms with these quakes, or in some cases, even feeling the earth shake beneath them.įrost quakes were recorded across the country during the winter of 2013-2014, when we saw bitterly cold temperatures from the polar vortex. These conditions dont happen often in winter, which makes thundersnow rare. Lightning can strike during a snowstorm when the charge needs to be equalized, just like in a summer thunderstorm.

As it expands, it puts stress on its surrounding rock or soil, or even trees, until the pressure must be relieved, and a small explosion happens. When warm air from the ground rises into an atmosphere that is below freezing, it can cause electrical charges to separate. As temperatures drop well below freezing, the saturated material will freeze and expand. Water sinks into the soil and saturates its surroundings. As temperatures rapidly fall, frost quakes become possible.Ī frost quake, or a cryoseism, happens when moisture trapped within rocks or soil freezes and cracks following a large temperature drop. But arctic air is now arriving in Ohio - bringing some of the coldest air so far this winter. The telltale signs of an ice quake are a booming sound, brief shaking, as in a minor earthquake, but in a very localized area, and usually a small crack in the. Because of the mild winter, the ground has barely, or in some cases, has not frozen. In fact, many nights have been near or above freezing. However, most of January and the first half of February of 2020 have had above average temperatures. One thing we have had a lot of this winter has been some big fluctuations in temperatures.