why does it get frosty after a cold clear night, but not when its cloudy?

Answer 1

Space is very cold. WHen there is a clear view into space on a clear night, the heat goes straight out of the earth into space. On a cloudy night, it gets reflected back by the clouds.

Answer 2

ok, I see some correct answers and some incorrect answers in here. I have a degree in meterology... Someone said that the clouds act as a "blanket" keeping the heat in- this is correct. The reason why you tend to see more frost on clear nights is directly because of this "blanket" effect- when it's warmer outside, the atmosphere is less likely to reach the dewpoint. When its colder, it is more likely to reach the dewpoint. Dewpoint is the temperature at which the water vapor in the earth's atmosphere can condense onto solid objects. Its the same in the summer- think about it, in the summer you see dew on the grass on cooler nights, right? the same goes for the winter. Only this dew freezes which is known as frost. Hope that helps!

Answer 3

After a cold clear night the atmosphere (landforms and waterforms) on the earth's crust absorbed the temperature, so the next day ... it will be a cold day! When its cloudy, the solar and heat energy was being absorbed by the clouds instead of the crust's atmosphere thus... making the weather hotter.

Answer 4

It's warmer when it's cloudy so frost does not form that easily - when it's cloudy the earth's heat cannot escape the atmosphere but is reflected back so it'll be warmer. It's called the greenhouse effect.
So on clear nights the heat from the earth escapes and makes the earth cooler.

Answer 5

It frequently cools at evening, all different issues equivalent, because at evening the Earth provides off the nice and cozy temperature generated via the daylight in the course of the day. And the position there are not any clouds to steer away from it, that warmth escapes as radiant potential into deep area. in which case the air's temperature can actual attain freezing element and frost takes position at the same time as the humidity contained in the air freezes. yet at the same time as there is cloud coverage, they act like a blanket and save a number of the absorbed warmth from escaping the ambience and that keeps the air hotter than it should be if there have been no blanket of clouds. So, because the air is hotter customarily the position there are clouds, the temperature frequently does not attain the frost element, freezing.

Answer 6

clouds hold the heat of the earth in, whereas a clear sky allows it to escape, so it get colder when there is no cloud. You can get frost when there is cloud, but then the temperature is generally much lower, and it often happens after a long cold spell where the earth is already very cold to start with.

Answer 7

Because cloud cover traps more heat in the atmosphere, whereas the heat escapes on a clear night and it becomes colder.

Answer 8

In simple terms, the clouds act as a blanket and keep the heat in, thereby keeping the Earth warmer and above freezing

Answer 9

The cloud is like a blanket and stops the ground radiating to the atmosphere

Answer 10

cos the air particles freeze on a cold night. there is too much density in the air for frost when it's cloudy