Frost quakes could create loud booms, pops this weekend as temperatures drop

If you hear booms or pops this weekend, it could be something called frost quakes.

The Miami Valley has experienced frost quakes in the past and this weekend, you might notice them again. A frost quake or cryoseism can happen when we get the ground saturated and then see temperatures drop quickly, said Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Kirstie Zontini.

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This week is a great example of a weather set up which could lead to frost quakes occurring. The Miami Valley had anywhere from 1½ to almost 4 inches of rain over the past week and temperatures have been shifting dramatically.

Thursday we hit 61 degrees, and by Saturday morning we will have dropped to 8 degrees. This sudden drop in temperatures can lead the water in the soil or rock to freeze. When the moisture freezes, it expands and can cause the soil and rock to crack. The cracking can produce booms or pops that you hear above ground.

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Early March of 2015 our newsroom was flooded with calls from people hearing booms likely from frost quakes. If you notice them this weekend share with us on our WHIO Facebook page.