‘Frostquakes’ Reported In Maine As Arctic Blast Deep Freezes New England

Plummeting temperatures throughout New England this weekend left Mainers shivering ― and the bottom shaking.

The Nationwide Climate Service (NWS) workplace in Caribou, Maine ― essentially the most northeastern metropolis in america ― said Friday on Twitter that it had been receiving stories of individuals within the state listening to and feeling “quakes.”

The NWS defined that individuals have been feeling “frostquakes,” also called cryoseisms.

“These are attributable to sudden cracks in frozen soil or underground water when its very chilly,” the workplace wrote, noting that, like earthquakes, cryoseisms “generate tremors” and “thundering sensations.”

A surge of arctic air had introduced brutally chilly temperatures and bone-chilling winds to the area on Friday and Saturday. The northern city of Frenchville, Maine, had a confirmed wind chill of -60 levels Fahrenheit, Information Middle Maine reported. In the meantime, Portland skilled a windchill of -45 levels within the southern a part of the state.

Apart from frostquakes, the area has seen loads of different hanging cold-weather phenomena over the previous two days. Trees have split from the water inside them, quickly increasing. Sea smoke ― a fog that happens in frigid air ― has swirled round harbors in Massachusetts, Maine and Nova Scotia.