Dew point
The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor,
assuming constant air pressure and water content. When cooled below the dew point, moisture capacity is
reduced[1] and airborne water vapor will condense to form liquid water known as dew. When this occurs
via contact with a colder surface, dew will form on that surface.[2]
The dew point is affected by humidity. When there is more moisture in the air, the dew point is higher.[3]
When the temperature is below the freezing point of water, the dew point is called the frost point, as frost
is formed via deposition rather than condensation.[4] In liquids, the analog to the dew point is the cloud
point.
Contents
Humidity
Relationship to human comfort
Dew point weather records
Measurement
Calculating the dew point
Simple approximation
Frost point
See also
References
External links
Humidity
If all the other factors influencing humidity remain constant, at ground level the relative humidity rises as
the temperature falls; this is because less vapor is needed to saturate the air. In normal conditions, the dew
point temperature will not be greater than the air temperature, since relative humidity typically[5] does not
exceed 100%.[6]
In technical terms, the dew point is the temperature at which the water vapor in a sample of air at constant
barometric pressure condenses into liquid water at the same rate at which it evaporates.[7] At temperatures
below the dew point, the rate of condensation will be greater than that of evaporation, forming more liquid
water. The condensed water is called dew when it forms on a solid surface, or frost if it freezes. In the air,
the condensed water is called either fog or a cloud, depending on its altitude when it forms. If the
temperature is below the dew point, and no dew or fog forms, the vapor is called supersaturated. This can
happen if there are not enough particles in the air to act as condensation nuclei.[5]
A high relative humidity implies that the dew point is close to the current air temperature. A relative
humidity of 100% indicates the dew point is equal to the current temperature and that the air is maximally
saturated with water. When the moisture content remains constant and temperature increases, relative
humidity decreases, but the dew point remains constant.[8]
General aviation pilots use dew point data to calculate the likelihood of carburetor icing and fog, and to
estimate the height of a cumuliform cloud base.
Increasing the barometric pressure increases the dew
point.[9] This means that, if the pressure increases, the
mass of water vapor per volume unit of air must be
reduced in order to maintain the same dew point. For
example, consider New York City (33 ft or 10 m
elevation) and Denver (5,280 ft or 1,610 m
elevation[10]). Because Denver is at a higher elevation
than New York, it will tend to have a lower barometric
pressure. This means that if the dew point and
temperature in both cities are the same, the amount of
water vapor in the air will be greater in Denver.
Relationship to human comfort
When the air temperature is high, the human body uses
the evaporation of perspiration to cool down, with the This graph shows the maximum percentage, by
cooling effect directly related to how fast the mass, of water vapor that air at sea-level
perspiration evaporates. The rate at which perspiration pressure across a range of temperatures can
can evaporate depends on how much moisture is in the contain. For a lower ambient pressure, a curve
air and how much moisture the air can hold. If the air is has to be drawn above the current curve. A
already saturated with moisture (humid), perspiration higher ambient pressure yields a curve under the
will not evaporate. The body's thermoregulation will current curve.
produce perspiration in an effort to keep the body at its
normal temperature even when the rate at which it is
producing sweat exceeds the evaporation rate, so one can become coated with sweat on humid days even
without generating additional body heat (such as by exercising).
As the air surrounding one's body is warmed by body heat, it will rise and be replaced with other air. If air
is moved away from one's body with a natural breeze or a fan, sweat will evaporate faster, making
perspiration more effective at cooling the body. The more unevaporated perspiration, the greater the
discomfort.
A wet bulb thermometer also uses evaporative cooling, so it provides a good measure for use in evaluating
comfort level.
Discomfort also exists when the dew point is very low (below around −5 °C or 23 °F). The drier air can
cause skin to crack and become irritated more easily. It will also dry out the airways. The US Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends indoor air be maintained at 20–24.5 °C (68–76 °F) with a
20–60% relative humidity,[11] equivalent to a dew point of approximately 4.0 to 16.5 °C (39 to 62 °F) (by
Simple Rule calculation below).
Lower dew points, less than 10 °C (50 °F), correlate with lower ambient temperatures and cause the body
to require less cooling. A lower dew point can go along with a high temperature only at extremely low
relative humidity, allowing for relatively effective cooling.
People inhabiting tropical and subtropical climates acclimatize somewhat to higher dew points. Thus, a
resident of Singapore or Miami, for example, might have a higher threshold for discomfort than a resident
of a temperate climate like London or Chicago. People accustomed to temperate climates often begin to feel
uncomfortable when the dew point gets above 15 °C (59 °F), while others might find dew points up to
18 °C (64 °F) comfortable. Most inhabitants of temperate areas will consider dew points above 21 °C
(70 °F) oppressive and tropical-like, while inhabitants of hot and humid areas may not find this
uncomfortable. Thermal comfort depends not just on physical environmental factors, but also on
psychological factors.[12]
Dew point weather records
Highest dew point temperature: A dew point of 35 °C (95 °F) — while the temperature was
42 °C (108 °F) — was observed at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, at 3:00 p.m. on 8 July 2003.[13]
Highest temperature with 100% of relative humidity: A temperature of 34 °C (93 °F) with
100% of relative humidity in Jask, Iran, on 21 July 2012.[14]
Measurement
Devices called hygrometers are used to measure dew point over a wide range of temperatures. These
devices consist of a polished metal mirror which is cooled as air is passed over it. The temperature at which
dew forms is, by definition, the dew point. Manual devices of this sort can be used to calibrate other types
of humidity sensors, and automatic sensors may be used in a control loop with a humidifier or dehumidifier
to control the dew point of the air in a building or in a smaller space for a manufacturing process.
Dew point Relative humidity at 32 °C (90 °F)
Over 26 °C Over 80 °F 73% and higher
24–26 °C 75–80 °F 62–72%
21–24 °C 70–74 °F 52–61%
18–21 °C 65–69 °F 44–51%
16–18 °C 60–64 °F 37–43%
13–16 °C 55–59 °F 31–36%
10–12 °C 50–54 °F 26–30%
Under 10 °C Under 50 °F 25% and lower
Calculating the dew point
A well-known approximation used to calculate the dew point, Tdp , given just the actual ("dry bulb") air
temperature, T (in degrees Celsius) and relative humidity (in percent), RH, is the Magnus formula:
The more complete formulation and origin of this
approximation involves the interrelated saturated
water vapor pressure (in units of millibars, also
called hectopascals) at T, Ps(T), and the actual
vapor pressure (also in units of millibars), Pa(T),
which can be either found with RH or
approximated with the barometric pressure (in
millibars), BPmbar, and "wet-bulb" temperature,
Tw is (unless declared otherwise, all temperatures
are expressed in degrees Celsius):
Graph of the dependence of the dew point upon air
temperature for several levels of relative humidity.
For greater accuracy, Ps(T) (and therefore γ(T, RH)) can be enhanced, using part of the Bögel modification,
also known as the Arden Buck equation, which adds a fourth constant d:
where
a = 6.1121 mbar, b = 18.678, c = 257.14 °C, d = 234.5 °C.
There are several different constant sets in use. The ones used in NOAA's presentation[15] are taken from a
1980 paper by David Bolton in the Monthly Weather Review:[16]
a = 6.112 mbar, b = 17.67, c = 243.5 °C.
These valuations provide a maximum error of 0.1%, for −30 °C ≤ T ≤ 35°C and 1% < RH < 100%. Also
noteworthy is the Sonntag1990,[17]
a = 6.112 mbar, b = 17.62, c = 243.12 °C; for −45 °C ≤ T ≤ 60 °C (error ±0.35 °C).
Another common set of values originates from the 1974 Psychrometry and Psychrometric Charts, as
presented by Paroscientific,[18]
a = 6.105 mbar, b = 17.27, c = 237.7 °C; for 0 °C ≤ T ≤ 60 °C (error ±0.4 °C).
Also, in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology,[19] Arden Buck presents several different
valuation sets, with different maximum errors for different temperature ranges. Two particular sets provide a
range of −40 °C to +50 °C between the two, with even lower maximum error within the indicated range
than all the sets above:
a = 6.1121 mbar, b = 17.368, c = 238.88 °C; for 0 °C ≤ T ≤ 50 °C (error ≤ 0.05%).
a = 6.1121 mbar, b = 17.966, c = 247.15 °C; for −40 °C ≤ T ≤ 0 °C (error ≤ 0.06%).
Simple approximation
There is also a very simple approximation that allows conversion between the dew point, temperature, and
relative humidity. This approach is accurate to within about ±1 °C as long as the relative humidity is above
50%:
This can be expressed as a simple rule of thumb:
For every 1 °C difference in the dew point and dry bulb temperatures, the relative humidity
decreases by 5%, starting with RH = 100% when the dew point equals the dry bulb
temperature.
The derivation of this approach, a discussion of its accuracy, comparisons to other approximations, and
more information on the history and applications of the dew point, can be found in an article published in
the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.[20]
For temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit, these approximations work out to
For example, a relative humidity of 100% means dew point is the same as air temp. For 90% RH, dew
point is 3 °F lower than air temperature. For every 10 percent lower, dew point drops 3 °F.
Frost point
The frost point is similar to the dew point in that it is the temperature to which a given parcel of humid air
must be cooled, at constant atmospheric pressure, for water vapor to be deposited on a surface as ice
crystals without undergoing the liquid phase (compare with sublimation). The frost point for a given parcel
of air is always higher than the dew point, as breaking the stronger bonding between water molecules on
the surface of ice compared to the surface of liquid water requires a higher temperature.[21]
See also
Bubble point
Carburetor heat
Hydrocarbon dew point
Psychrometrics
Thermodynamic diagrams
References
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NOAA's National Weather Service. 25 June 2009.
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Survey ([Link] Academic Press.
pp. 83–. ISBN 978-0-08-049953-6.
4. "Frost Point" ([Link] Glossary –
NOAA's National Weather Service. 25 June 2009.
5. Skilling, Tom (20 July 2011). "Ask Tom why: Is it possible for relative humidity to exceed 100
percent?" ([Link]
20_1_relative-humidity-condensation-nuclei-supersaturated-air). Chicago Tribune.
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s/[Link]). Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
7. "dew point" ([Link] Merriam-Webster
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Temperature...a better approach" ([Link]
l). Steve Horstmeyer. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
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s/default/files/documents/Dew-point-compressed-air-Application-note-B210991EN-B-LOW-v
[Link]) (PDF). Vaisala. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
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[Link]/AboutDenver/today_factsguide.asp). The City and County of Denver. Archived
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3, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
11. "02/24/2003 - Reiteration of Existing OSHA Policy on Indoor Air Quality: Office
Temperature/Humidity and Environmental Tobacco Smoke. | Occupational Safety and
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public square in hot and humid regions" ([Link]
ermal_perception_adaptation_and_attend20160607-[Link]) (PDF). Building and
Environment. 44 (10): 2017–2026. doi:10.1016/[Link].2009.02.004 ([Link]
6%[Link].2009.02.004). Retrieved 23 January 2018.
13. "Iranian city soars to record 129 degrees: Near hottest on Earth in modern measurements" (h
ttps://[Link]/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/06/29/iran-city-soars-to
-record-of-129-degrees-near-hottest-ever-reliably-measured-on-earth/). Washington Post.
Archived ([Link]
ews/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/06/29/iran-city-soars-to-record-of-129-degrees-near-hott
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14. "Iran city hits suffocating heat index of 165 degrees, near world record" ([Link]
[Link]/s/environmental_market_industry_news.asp?ReportID=718276). Klean
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15. Relative Humidity and Dewpoint Temperature from Temperature and Wet-Bulb Temperature
([Link]
16. Bolton, David (July 1980). "The Computation of Equivalent Potential Temperature" ([Link]
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df) (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. 108 (7): 1046–1053. Bibcode:1980MWRv..108.1046B
([Link] doi:10.1175/1520-
0493(1980)108<1046:TCOEPT>[Link];2 ([Link]
0%29108%3C1046%3ATCOEPT%[Link]%3B2). Archived from the original ([Link]
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[Link]/[Link]). Archived from the original ([Link]
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19. Buck, Arden L. (December 1981). "New Equations for Computing Vapor Pressure and
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[Link]/~bkh/teaching/505/arden_buck_sat.pdf) (PDF). Journal of Applied Meteorology. 20
(12): 1527–1532. Bibcode:1981JApMe..20.1527B ([Link]
ApMe..20.1527B). doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1981)020<1527:NEFCVP>[Link];2 ([Link]
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American Meteorological Society. 86 (2): 225–233. Bibcode:2005BAMS...86..225L ([Link]
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21. Haby, Jeff. "Frost point and dew point"
([Link] Retrieved September 30, 2011.
External links
Often Needed Answers about Temp, Humidity & Dew Point ([Link]
ology/temp-dewpoint/) from the [Link]
Retrieved from "[Link]
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