Ice

Roycropper63

This question might have been answered some where already but here goes,

I have a black car and normally ice is very visible on it, ie white ice on black car but this morning on looking out it appeared to be clear of ice when in fact but when I went out to drive to work it was in fact frozen with clear ice, any idea why black ice happens?

Thanks Roy

MetLuver

I would imagine it is the way the ice forms. When dew freezes in the air and falls onto a surface, or when it falls onto a surface and freezes, the ice crystals formed are smaller and opaque, so appear white, however, when the surface is already quite wet from heavy dew or other precipitation, the liquid freezes faster and so the resulting ice crystals are larger and more transparent.

Roycropper63

Thanks

ZX7R

Accuweather have an article on black ice www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/black-ice-driving
it might help explain it. Dont forget the article is in fahrenheit not celsius.