General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: In TX, some think their homes are "unbearably hot" when they reach 78 degrees. [View all]NutmegYankee
(16,488 posts)The dew point is the temperature at which the air is completely saturated, in other words 100% relative humidity. Just like sugar in a saucepan where adding more heat will dissolve more sugar, heating the air allows the air to hold more moisture, so the relative humidity goes down during the day. Fun fact: a dew point of 95°F for 2 hrs will kill a human. So 100°F and 100% humidity has never happened on Earth while humans have been here - that would be a dew point of 100°F
Dew point is a predictor for nighttime lows with a clear sky because once the air hits the dew point and the water vapor condenses to liquid the latent heat of vaporization is released, warming the air. The temp can go lower, but it will leave a heavy coating of dew to do so. Regardless, humid air cannot drop much more than 20°F during the night, leaving warm nights, whereas dry air can plunge 40° or more.