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Frost and Ice

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  • 06-02-2015 1:05pm
    #1
    Tranceypoo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭


    Ok, so this probably sounds like a dumb question but could someone explain to me the difference between frost and ice? If the weather reports say it's going to be a frosty night, does that mean the roads will be slippy in the morning? The last few days the roads have been fine but it's been below zero temps at night, I'm thinking that because it's been so dry the roads have been free of ice so my logic tells me that frost is the air freezing and ice is, of course, frozen water, hence if it's been wet the roads would be slippy.

    And if you could explain it in laymens terms that would be even better, I am not scientifically minded....


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    #2
    Simon Gruber Says
    Registered Users Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭Simon Gruber Says


    I think frost is ice that forms on something that's surface temperature is lower than the dew point, so that the moisture in the air condenses and freezes

    Whereas when they say ice, it's from existing surface water that has frozen, but I'm open to correction.


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    #3
    DOCARCH
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 17,702 Mod ✭✭✭✭DOCARCH


    Simon Gruber Says wrote: »
    I think frost is ice that forms on something that's surface temperature is lower than the dew point, so that the moisture in the air condenses and freezes

    Whereas when they say ice, it's from existing surface water that has frozen, but I'm open to correction.

    I think that's a pretty good/accurate laymans explanation. :)


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    #4
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    The way I see it is that ice is water whereas frost is moisture in the air and thus on surfaces


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    #5
    Tranceypoo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭Tranceypoo


    Graces7 wrote:
    The way I see it is that ice is water whereas frost is moisture in the air and thus on surfaces

    That's how I've always thought of it but I wasn't sure if it was right!


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