Overview
- The National Weather Service reported loud booms tied to cryoseisms in the bitter cold and emphasized they are generally not a cause for concern.
- Residents in Tennessee, Kentucky and Michigan reported booms and brief tremors as temperatures plunged following recent moisture.
- Frost quakes form when rain or meltwater rapidly freezes, expands within soil or bedrock, and cracks the ground, most often during the coldest overnight hours.
- Forecasters say the Chicago region could experience supportive conditions as Arctic air settles, though insulating snow cover may limit occurrences.
- Though usually mild, frost quakes can rattle windows, leave small pavement or foundation cracks, and sometimes register on seismographs, as the broader storm drives widespread hazards and a reported U.S. death toll of about 30.