In wet weather, which surface tends to freeze first?

Study for the Just Drive Test. Boost your driving knowledge with multiple choice questions and detailed explanations. Prepare for success!

In wet weather, surfaces that lose heat fastest and have little thermal mass freeze first. Bridges fit this pattern because they’re elevated and exposed to cold air on both sides and often windy. The deck, especially if it’s metal, conducts heat away quickly, and they don’t get warmed much by the ground beneath like roadways do. Water on a bridge can chill and freeze rapidly, so ice forms sooner there than on surfaces with ground contact that retain warmth from the earth and traffic. Intersections and open highways sit on the ground and tend to stay warmer longer due to ground heat, while road markings are thin and don’t hold heat, so they don’t freeze sooner than bridges.