Parked on a shaded street, so I’m guessing it’s not the sun? Stumped though.
In: 26
Were the windshields facing the sky, while the side windows were facing buildings? Buildings shine in infrared, transferring some heat to the things they shine on, while a clear sky is black in infrared.
Mist fell only on the horizontal parts of the window. And the limited water that fell on the side mirror possibly dripped off more because of the slope.
The window angle being steeper may not give moist air enough time to deposit residue frost before it slides off?
Side windows are vertical hence water droplets spens less time to go the bottom and have less time to freeze.
If there was a building next to you, it was probably radiating heat at your car, so any windows facing it didn’t frost.
Second paragraph, second paragraph.
Vertical or near vertical vehicle windows develop frost less easily than do the sloped windows at the front and rear. I drive a Nissan Cube, the wife a Mazda 3. Her windows frost up a LOT more often than do mine.
From what I have seen, the frost comes from above.
I’ve seen some places where an awning has made a frost shadow, you’d see a clear line following under whatever was on covering it.
These were 8-10 foot from the ground, so it seems like frost forms from cold air and moisture dropping straight down.
Anything at an angle to that will have less, and vertical sides usually have the least.
Everything around your car radiates heat, warming what is pointed at those things. The side windows are pointed at warm buildings or other objects and warmed by their heat radiation. The windshields develop frost because they are pointed at the one thing that isn’t radiating heat: the sky. This allows the temperature of the windshields to drop below freezing.
Latest Answers