why do cars get so dirty when it snows?

Question

I was just thinking about this....I thought maybe cuz cars were dirty to start with and when the snow melted to brought the dirt down but if that were the case it would be like that for rain too.....even cars that dont drive end up getting dirty

Answer 1

some people don't know this... but snow needs some dirt , or dust in order to form ...you see, the water forms around the dirt or dust and nucleates (spelling unknown) before it actually falls from the sky and what you may be seeing when the snow melts even if you have not driven you car is the dirt it (the snow) has brought down with it...if by some chance you don't beleive me try this before your next snow try setting out a clean white container out to catch some of the snow...let it melt and look at the bottom of the container and see how much dirt you have caught...hope this helps, but yes if the car has been driven chances are it could be from the salt laid on the roads.

Answer 2

The road salt that they put down to make the ice and snow melt gets thrown up onto the car and causes a film that has to be washed off--it can also rust the car's undercarriage if it gets repeatedly left on during the winter.

Answer 3

Well its not really the snow that you see on your car thats dirt. The dirt you see on your car is called salt. Its what the spread on the ground when it does snow to help it melt.

Answer 4

Most because of the salt on the roadways

Answer 5

Its the slush from the ground..salt & sand mixed together..