> At a Glance
> – Matthew Thomas Jones, 60, caught Coca-Cola bottles freezing and bursting outside a Glen Ellyn,Ill., grocery store on Dec. 30, 2025
> – The 10-degree cold split the plastic bottles and sent soda spraying; the TikTok clip has topped 2 million views in six days
> – Jones originally recorded the scene for his Australia-based godson, who urged him to post it publicly
> – Why it matters: The viral moment highlights how everyday items react to extreme cold-and how quickly ordinary footage can explode online.
While running an errand for his cookie-company job, Matthew Thomas Jones stepped into a sub-zero parking-lot science experiment. The Glen Ellyn resident pulled out his phone after hearing “popping sounds” and filmed bottles rupturing one by one.
How the Video Happened
Jones guessed the overnight low had dipped below the 10°F reading that morning. He snapped the footage for a Snapchat to show his godson in Australia how cold Illinois can get. When the clips kept rolling, he captured bottle after bottle splitting and spraying frozen soda.
- Temperature at filming: about 10°F
- Location: grocery-store entrance, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
- Motive: share Midwestern cold with family overseas
From Snap to Sensation
Jones sent the video privately, but his godson immediately pushed him to upload it to TikTok. The post rocketed past 2 million views and drew thousands of comments in under a week.
Jones told Newsweek:
> “Well, I never thought it would hit 2 million views, but that’s where we are in six days since posting!”
Viewers chimed in with regional slang jokes and tongue-in-cheek advice:
- “We call it soda in the south…. I understand why y’all call it POP now.”
- “If you’re cold, they’re cold, bring them inside 🤣”
- “Why are they outside 😭”
Key Takeaways
- A routine grocery stop turned into a viral science demo thanks to single-digit cold and exploding soda
- Jones originally intended the clip for family, proving spontaneous moments can resonate worldwide
- The TikTok tally climbed past 2 million views within six days, fueled by regional humor about the word “pop”
- The event underscores how quickly ordinary footage can gain massive traction online
