Frost Quakes In The Stateline?

Earlier this week, we received an e-mail from a viewer who kept hearing loud booming noises outside her house. She assumed it was weather related and asked us to investigate. After asking around on social media, we discovered that more than a few people were hearing these mysterious booms.

The cold might actually explain what is happening. Last winter, you might remember we experienced what we call a cryoseism, better known as a frost quake. It sounds like we're dealing with the same phenomenon this week.

Here's a quick explainer. When temperatures rapidly fall below freezing and stay there, water in the ground freezes and expands. That causes the ground to crack and produces the loud booms or small explosions that we call frost quakes.

Cryoseisms are usually a rare occurrence in the Stateline, but if you hear a loud boom tonight, this could help explain what is happening. -BA