The weather conditions in Iowa are ideal for a phenomenon known as a frost quake... don't be surprised if you hear one or more tonight.

We've had the perfect ingredients over the last 48 hours. Warm temperatures allowed moisture to seep into the ground during the first part of last night's snowfall before temperatures began to drop. Now, that ground is frozen and the water that seeped into the ground will freeze and expand, causing small explosions in the limestone below ground. They're called frost quakes, or Cryoseism. Thanks to temperatures in the 50s Saturday, followed by lows near zero tonight, those frost quakes could cause some unusual noises.

WQAD likens a frost quake to a pop can sitting in your freezer or outside in the cold. It eventually goes boom, which is what happens underground. A frost quake can sound like an earthquake, but thankfully they don't do damage. Still, if you're sleeping tonight and get awakened, a frost quake could be the culprit. A frost quake can be heard as much as a mile away.

The wood and metal in your house could also contract and expand causing some other unusual sounds tonight, proving your house doesn't like the cold any more than you do.

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