How Frost Decorates Windows? 0 6

The amazing patterns that appear on windows in winter have their specific names: dendrites (tree-like structures) and trichites (fibrous forms).

When the cooling of the glass occurs at positive temperatures and high humidity, the film of water that forms on its surface begins to crystallize in the form of dendrites as the temperature of the surrounding air decreases. Initially, the patterns form at the bottom of the window, where more water accumulates due to gravity, and it is here that dendrites are more pronounced due to the greater amount of 'building material' than at the top of the glass. As the temperature continues to drop, the dendrites become 'frosted' with ice crystals.

Trichites, on the other hand, arise at the edges of scratches left by hard objects, forming slightly curved, parallel strips of frost. As the air temperature decreases, they transform into dense ice fibers.