Omaha, NE – Residents from Omaha to Lincoln could soon hear sharp, explosive booms echoing through the night as temperatures plunge across the state. According to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, those startling sounds are likely frost quakes — sudden cracking events in frozen ground caused by extreme temperature drops.
Also known as cryoseisms, frost quakes occur when rain or melted snow seeps into the soil and then freezes too quickly. As that trapped moisture expands into ice, it builds intense underground pressure until the frozen ground suddenly splits apart — releasing a burst of energy that sounds like an explosion or thunderclap.
Meteorologists say conditions are ideal for frost quakes this week across eastern Nebraska, with wet soil, little snow cover, and temperatures expected to fall from the 30s into the single digits overnight. Similar conditions have triggered frost quakes in past winters across the Omaha metro and southeast Nebraska.
The events usually strike between midnight and dawn, when temperatures are lowest. While frost quakes are brief and localized, they can rattle windows and occasionally cause small cracks in driveways or foundations.
Experts recommend ensuring good drainage, sealing foundation gaps, and clearing standing water before deep freezes arrive.
So if you’re awakened by a loud boom on a calm, icy night from Omaha to Lincoln, it’s likely not fireworks — it’s Nebraska’s frozen ground cracking under winter’s pressure.
