Chicago, IL – From Chicago to Peoria, Illinois residents could soon hear mysterious, thunder-like booms echoing through the night as frigid temperatures sweep across the state. According to the Illinois State Geological Survey, those startling sounds are likely frost quakes — a natural phenomenon that happens when frozen ground suddenly cracks under pressure.
Frost quakes, or cryoseisms, form when water from rain or melting snow seeps into the soil, then freezes too quickly as temperatures plunge below zero. The expanding ice builds immense stress underground until the frozen ground splits apart, releasing energy in a quick, explosive burst that can sound like an explosion or gunshot.
Meteorologists say conditions this week are ideal for frost quakes across northern and central Illinois. After a wet start to winter, temperatures are expected to drop rapidly from the 30s into the teens, with little snow cover to insulate the ground. Areas along the I-55 corridor — including Chicago, Joliet, Bloomington, and Peoria — are especially prone.
Most frost quakes occur between midnight and dawn, when the cold is most intense. While rarely damaging, they can cause small cracks in pavement, driveways, or foundations near the epicenter.
Experts recommend keeping water away from home foundations and improving drainage before the next deep freeze to minimize frost-quake effects.
So if you’re startled by a thunderous boom on a still, icy night from Chicago to Peoria, don’t panic — it’s likely the Illinois ground itself, cracking under the weight of winter.
