Air temperature, dew point and humidity can be a complicated process, but we are here to break down and answer the most frequent questions asked during the summer months.

Relative humidity and dew point are often mistaken for the same thing and can be sources of confusion. But what are the differences between the two, and which is more relevant in everyday life?

Dew point measures the air’s moisture content directly and impacts weather perception more accurately than relative humidity.

The dew point is the temperature that we would have to cool the air down to for condensation (or dew) to begin forming.

The dew point, on the other hand, is the temperature that the air must be cooled to in order for relative humidity to reach one hundred percent.

What is the difference between the dew point and relative humidity and which is a better metric to represent humidity?

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As we head into the spring and summer, meteorologists are going to talk more about humidity and dew point. But, what’s the difference? You might be used to checking the ...

The relative humidity depends on the air temperature, even when the dew point stays constant. In the example above, we have a dew point temperature that stays constant at 65 degrees.

Every summer, I get asked this question: "Why don't you use relative humidity? I don't care about the dew point." The thing is - you should care about the dew point more.

It really depends on the higher levels of our atmosphere, but a lower dew point is a better starting point for good observing.

The dew point, on the other hand, is the temperature that the air must be cooled to in order for relative humidity to reach one hundred percent.