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Frost bloom on window

 

Between modern window panes ice flowers seldom occur – the air gap between the glasses is smaller and the mounting rather air-tight.

 

Just as for the formation of snowflakes dust grains are needed in the snow cloud; so some kind of dust specks are needed for the formation of ice flowers between the glasses; on the smooth glass something to attach to is needed. Thus older less tight windows are painted with ice flowers because dust as well as humidity slips in more easily  between them. The humidity condenses or sublimes on the little dirt specks and with the simultaneous effect of frost the ice flowers are created.

 

A similar process takes place on single-glass surfaces – for instance on the windows of bus stop shelters and the large windows of unheated public transport vehicles.