Category: Humidity

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, measures water vapor with its Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) satellites in several ways. For example, NOAA uses a measure called total precipitable water (TPW) to provide information to weather forecasters and hydrologists (scientists who study the waters of the Earth and atmosphere). This information helps improve forecasting for…

Basically, the more water vapor in our atmosphere, the more possibility of precipitation. Precipitation happens when the air rises and causes condensation of water vapor into liquid water droplets. This is the beginning of the formation of precipitation! These little droplets grow through a process called “collision-coalescence”. During collision-coalescence, these droplets come together and form larger…

The dew point marks the temperature at which water vapor will turn into liquid water droplets. This process is called condensation. Condensation is what causes clouds to form, which can then lead to precipitation such as rain, snow, and hail. The dew point will always either be the same or lower than the actual outside temperature. This…

Relative humidity also measures water vapor in the air, but it is compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that can exist in the air at its current temperature. It is written as a percent. For example, warm air can hold more water vapor, or moisture, than cold air. So, with the same amount…

Absolute humidity is the actual amount of water vapor in the air. The higher the amount of water vapor, the higher the absolute humidity.

Water is a super special substance. It is basically everywhere on Earth – in our soils, our oceans, and our air. Water exists in three states – liquid, solid, and gas. Liquid water helps hydrate us during a hot day or after a long sports game. Solid water, or ice, is colder and gives us…

Imagine: You take a nice, long, hot shower. Stepping out, you feel it’s pretty muggy and warm in the bathroom, and the mirror is foggy. You wipe your hand across the mirror and suddenly, your hand is all wet. That’s because of the moisture in the bathroom! Water vapor in the bathroom allows us to…