It bugs me when people say, "it was 90 degrees and 100 percent humidity"

[CreekDog]

The weather was 95 degrees and 95 percent (relative) humidity. No! :spank:

:rant:

In the USA about the closest you are likely to come to that is about 80 degrees and 100 percent humidity and even then that is extreme, found perhaps in New Orleans or the Keys, though occasionally during extreme heatwaves in the Midatlantic. What that 80 degrees and 100 percent humidity amounts to is that if the daytime temperature reaches 95, the humidity will likely have fallen to around 60 percent. If it reaches 100 degrees, the humidity is down to 50 in all likelihood. Granted, that's oppressive and even heat advisory/warning weather, but it is NOT anywhere near 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity.

A shorthand way to think of relative humidity is that you take the dew point and for every 20 degrees above that, humidity is halved. At dew point, humidity is 100%, 20 degrees above dew point humidity is 50%, 40 degrees above dew point humidity is 25%.

And dew point is largely related to the temperature of substantial bodies of water adjacent to your region.

To top off my annoyance, the last time this came up, I was talking to someone who works in science (though not meteorology) and she said this. When I told her, "the only place with that combination of temperature and humidity is a hot shower". She said how she lived in St. Louis and it was humid and I said, "Yes, 95 degrees and 50 percent humidity IS humid, you don't have to say 100% humidity to convince me it's humid" and explained just a little about it and she said I couldn't know unless I lived there :eyes: . This from a person I like very much and who is generally smart and who I think is a scientist. :wtf:

:rant:

[TZ]

1. Boy thats one of the logical fallacies we see on DU alot

In terms of the "if you don't live there" or "if you have never experience it" or "I've never met anyone who believes X" it must be TRUE.
I don't get this whole deal that one's perception MUST be the entire truth of the matter.
That comment coming from a scientist DOES surprise me, most are trained to be objective and to understand the strengths and weaknesses of personal observation.

Then, again...they could just be saying that to piss you off, Creekdog..you have that effect on some people.... Welcome to our little Skeptics group, btw...;-)

[realisticphish]

2. yeah

i live in the midwest, and see my share of ridiculous weather extremes, but it's not like no one has ever experienced heat and humidity before

[varkam]

4. I've seen that many, many times.

It reminds me a good deal of solipsism (e.g. If I haven't seen it, then it doesn't exist!).

[CreekDog]

7. That comment surprised me and she's not the type to enjoy annoying me

Thanks for the welcome. There does seem to be a bit more level-headedness in this group than elsewhere at DU.

:hi:

[Orrex]

3. "Heat index" and "wind chill factor" are useless to me

Tell me how god damned hot or cold it is, Weatherperson, and spare me your community college meteorology lab lingo.

By the way--the humidity in my neighbor's pool is 100%. And I think the temp is about 78°.

[Heddi]

5. you don't know what you're talking about :)

i lived in coastal south carolina for TWENNY FY YEARS and Lemme tell you--THAT is humidity.

don't tell me. I'LL tell YOU! :)

[CreekDog]

6. you're dead to me now ;)

:rofl:

[Heddi]

8. No you're dead to ME

I am the only one alive.

You don't tell me. I TELL YOU!!@!!!!!

[CreekDog]

9. you're being irrational

:rofl: