I wonder if spiders put webs in front of windows to catch bugs that fly towards the light, or if they put webs all over a building and we only see the ones near the windows?
That's a female Argiope aurantia. Found from Colombia to Canada. Fairly chill, they only bite big animals when hurt, and even then the bite is less concerning than a bee sting. If you're lucky you might even see a brown egg sac nearby.
Just don't grow attached to her to the point that you give her a name, those spiders are short-lived. RIP my pet Argiope argentata Kumoko (;_;)7
Thank you for your wonderful and informative comment! I went out back to see if she was still there / look for an egg sack, and snuck another pic. She's quick! Ran up the fence as soon as she saw me!