On flat and low slope roofs expanding freezing ice can fracture with a terrific booming noise.
Roof noise in winter.
Roof cracking sounds are somewhat common in the winter.
What happens is during the cold winter months wood trusses in your attic and or on your outside deck contract and make a loud booming noise as they move.
Strangely enough there are no noises in my daughter s unit just mine.
It starts again in the spring.
Awakening in the middle of a cold night by repeated loud banging from your home s roof can be quite alarming giving rise to visions of falling tree limbs or intruders on the roof.
What you re hearing however is the effect of low temperatures on the building materials.
Also temperature related movements in roofing materials can cause annoying roof noises that lead to building noise complaints by the occupants.
Also see banging booming noise diagnosis cure.
The sun shines on your roof all day warming the tiles and sub roof.
As your house quiets down at night and the temperatures fall the cooling of your roof components can often be heard.
The timbers and framing lumber will crack before the collapse but sometimes there s not a lot of warning.
There is no noise in the winter.
The most dangerous situations are when the roof is about to collapse because of too much snow and ice.
See noise control for roofs for details.