The Booms on the Coldest Nights
On a bitterly cold night, people woke to loud bangs, like someone hitting the house, or a gunshot. There was no one there.
What was reported
After an ice storm in December 2013, people across Toronto and southern Ontario reported being woken by loud booms and cracks in the night, sometimes shaking their houses. Some thought of gunshots, explosions, burglars or something falling on the roof.
Similar booms have been reported in Chicago, Maine and other places during sudden deep freezes, often after heavy rain or snow.
Explanations offered
These are frost quakes, or cryoseisms. When water-soaked ground freezes very quickly, the water expands as it turns to ice, building pressure until the soil or rock suddenly cracks. The release makes a loud boom and can cause small, local tremors. They're most likely when temperatures plunge fast after a wet spell.
- When
- December 2013 and other cold snaps
- Where
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Witnesses
- Residents of Ontario and the US Midwest
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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