This work aims to study the effect of freeze-thaw cycle and ultraviolet radiation on the erosion resistance of tempered glass, and to explore the mechanisms of erosion damage on the surface of tempered glass. Methods According to the characteristics of wind-sand environment in central and western Inner Mongolia, wind-sand erosion tests was carried out on the tempered glass under the freeze-thaw cycle and ultraviolet radiation combined factor, and combined with contact mechanics, fracture mechanics and tribology theory, analyse the general erosion damage mechanics mechanism in the case of single particle erosion of ordinary environmental tempered glass. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser confocal microscopy (LSCM) were used to analyze the two-dimensional and three-dimensional damage morphologies, and compared with the theoretical analysis. Results The erosion rate of tempered glass increases with the number of freeze-thaw cycles and the equivalent time of ultraviolet irradiation. When the erosion velocity increases from 14 m/s to 30 m/s, the tempered glass erosion rate increases from 0.010 mg/g to 0.768 mg/g. When the erosion angle is increases from 15° to 90°, the tempered glass erosion rate increases from 0.004 mg/g to 0.453 mg/g. Conclusion The erosion resistance of tempered glass will be weakened by freeze-thaw cycle and ultraviolet irradiation. The increase of the erosion velocity will cause the erosion particles to generate more impact contact force on the surface of the tempered glass, so that the indentation depth and the radial crack length increase, so that the tempered glass will increase the volume of the exfoliated material under repeated particle impact, so the erosion rate increases with the increase of erosion velocity. The surface indentation depth and radial crack length of tempered glass increase faster at high erosion velocity, so the tempered glass erosion rate increases faster at high erosion velocity. The erosion rate of tempered glass increases with the increase of erosion angle. The erosion mechanism of toughened glass at middle and high angle is micro cutting principle. The erosion scope is wider and the erosion depth is shallow. The erosion mechanism under high angle is indentation fracture, and the erosion scope is more concentrated, and the erosion depth is larger.