Frost, like snow, is the result of deposition of water vapor in saturated air. If solid surfaces in contact with the air are chilled below the deposition point (see frost point), then spicules of ice grow out from the solid surface. The size of the crystals depends on time and the amount of water vapor available.

Frost is often observed around cracks in wooden sidewalks due to the moist air escaping from the ground below. Other objects on which frost develops are those with low specific heat and high thermal emissivity, such as blackened metals; hence the accumulation of frost on the heads of rusty nails. The apparently erratic occurrence of frost in adjacent localities is due partly to differences of elevation, the lower areas becoming colder on calm nights. It is also affected by differences in absorptivity and specific heat of the ground which in the absence of wind greatly influences the temperature attained by the superincumbent air. The formation of white frost on the indoor surface of window panes indicates low relative humidity of the indoor air, otherwise water would first condense in small droplets and then freeze into clear ice.

Because cold air is more dense than warm air, and forms close to the ground, in calm weather cold air pools at ground level. This is known as surface temperature inversion. It explains why frost is more common and extensive in low-lying areas such as valleys and hollows. Areas where frost forms due to cold air trapped against the ground or against a solid barrier such as a wall are known as "frost pockets". Frost can form in these areas even when the reported temperature is above the freezing point of water.

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