Cleveland, OH – From Cleveland to Columbus, residents may soon hear mysterious booms or feel faint ground tremors as temperatures plummet. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), these startling sounds are likely frost quakes — a rare winter phenomenon that happens when saturated ground freezes too fast.
Also known as cryoseisms, frost quakes occur when rain or melting snow seeps into the soil, then rapidly freezes as temperatures fall below zero. The expanding ice builds pressure underground until it suddenly cracks, producing a loud, explosive sound and sometimes a small ground vibration.
Meteorologists say conditions across northern and central Ohio are primed for frost quakes this week, thanks to back-to-back rain systems followed by arctic air. The biggest risk comes when little or no snow cover exists to insulate the ground — allowing cold air to penetrate deeply and freeze trapped moisture…