I am not understanding this because I thought ice ruins the fruit. Could you please help. Why does spraying fruit trees with water before a frost help protect the fruit from freezing?

Question

I am not understanding this because I thought ice ruins the fruit.  Could you please help.  Why does spraying fruit trees with water before a frost help protect the fruit from freezing?

Damon · Answer

Because it takes a while for the below freezing air to pull the heat out of the water to freeze it (334,000 Joules per Kilogram heat of fusion) at 32 F (or 0 C) before the fruit can freeze . By then hopefully the sun will come out.