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It’s been a sweltering start to summer so far, in part due to the humidity, and North Texans learned to embrace the phrase “air you can wear” this weekend.<\/p>\n
The dew point approached 80 degrees Friday, which is a record high for the area. According to the National Weather Service, this record has been set five times since 1947.<\/p>\n
Related: The dew point in Dallas-Fort Worth on Thursday reached record levels. Here’s why it’s so catchy<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, humidity levels remained oppressive, staying in the low to mid 70s. Overnight, dew point values \u200b\u200brose significantly due to cooler air, explained NWS meteorologist Monique Sellers.<\/p>\n
Breaking news<\/p>\n
“Essentially, it’s mixing with drier air, so it’s going down throughout the day,” Sellers said, adding that the dew point climbed as high as 77 degrees Saturday and Sunday night.<\/p>\n
However, the term dew point is often misinterpreted as a similar metric to temperature, since both are measured in degrees Fahrenheit, Sellers said. The reality is that they serve different purposes and report on different things in the environment.<\/p>\n
In short, the dew point is the point at which the air forms dew, or tiny droplets of water that contribute to a sticky, unpleasant feeling outside.<\/p>\n
In other words, the dew point tells us the temperature to which the air needs to be cooled to reach 100 percent relative humidity, or when dew forms, Sellers said.<\/p>\n
“If the dew point is 80, it doesn’t take long to cool it down before you start to see moisture develop,” he said.<\/p>\n
By itself, dew point doesn’t mean much. But combined with the temperatures, it’s often a good indicator of how it will feel outside. When temperatures are close to dew point, water vapor begins to develop, Sellers explained.<\/p>\n
“When you start getting your dew point closer to your temperature, that’s when you start seeing things like fog and mist and things like that,” he said.<\/p>\n
Also, dew point differs from humidity in that it measures the amount of moisture in the air, regardless of what the temperature is.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, relative humidity is based on temperature, and tends to rise at night. When it’s cooler outside, it will feel more humid, Sellers said.<\/p>\n
If you’re looking for moisture relief, don’t hold your breath.<\/p>\n
The forecast for the rest of the week is about the same, at least in terms of dew point, and it’s expected to stay in the mid-70s through this weekend.<\/p>\n
“It takes some kind of action, like maybe some drier air coming in, to bring those dew values \u200b\u200bback down,” Sellers said. But dry air, which can come from a cold front or a dry line, is hard to come by in the summer months, and especially so in Texas.<\/p>\n
However, temperatures are forecast to drop a bit, which could provide some reassurance for North Texans.<\/p>\n
“It can feel a little less hot, which lowers the heat index, which makes it a little less stressful to be out in the heat,” Sellers said.<\/p>\n