Have you ever heard of a "frost quake"? They aren't super common this far south, but they do happen. There have been reports of frost quakes across parts of our area last night and could still be possible over the next few days as we have very cold temperatures in our area. 

Check out this video sent into us by Angie Puckett in Munfordville, KY from last night! Be sure you have the volume turned up...

You can hear the ground crack/pop pretty clearly. So what's happening? These ice quakes are rare, but they typically occur after a recent heavy rain or large snowmelt. The ground needs to be saturated (or very nearly saturated) by liquid water. Then the air temperature drops below freezing which also drops the temperature in the ground. When water freezes, it expands; so as that water in the ground start to freeze, it also starts to take up more space than it did when it was liquid. That freezing water is pushing on the ground around it which builds up pressure that must be released. Eventually the ice cracks under the pressure which releases the waves you hear as a boom and may feel as a quick shake. 

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Image: NWS Louisville

While this is not a "technical" earthquake, it may be hard to tell a difference in the moment. It also has an official name that kind of sounds earthquake-related: cryoseism! The ground will shake or maybe crack and you can hear a loud boom. Ice quakes are most likely between midnight and dawn because that's the coldest part of the night. 

Reach meteorologist Bryce Jones at BJones@wdrb.com, on Twitter or on Facebook. Copyright 2026. WDRB Media. All rights reserved.