Winter..

[simrantogether]

Hi,

Is the cold air in winter usually Dry... or some moisture content is there...

Regards,

Simran..

 

[dknguyen]

YOu mean indoors? Or outdoors? Indoors, dry, becuase of the heaters. Outdoors? I've been freezing too much to notice or give a damn. I would say drier though since all the bodies of water are frozen and don't evaporate as well.

 

[Pommie]

The air at the poles contains no moisture. Once the temperature drops, the air can no longer hold moisture and the water precipitates as rain/dew/hail/snow/frost etc.

Currently outside it is around 30°C as we are in Summer time.

Mike.

 

[Torben]

Depends on your location, and your definition of "cold". Where I am now (just outside of Victoria, B.C.) we just had two straight days of snow, temperatures around 1 to -2 deg. C, and relative humidity was still in the high 90's. Where I grew up (northern BC) for the same time period, the temp. was around -15 to -20 deg C, and the relative humidity was around 50%.

I have been in temperatures as low as -44 deg C (-66 with wind chill) and the air was very dry indeed. I don't know the relative humidity though.


Torben

 

[crusty]

wonder what temperature peanut butter melts...

 

[Pommie]

Where I grew up (northern BC) for the same time period, the temp. was around -15 to -20 deg C, and the relative humidity was around 50%.
Torben

The 50% you quote is relative humidity. Air at 20°C and 50% RH will contain 16 times more water vapour than air at -20°C and 50% RH.

Relative Humidity is the amount of water that the air contains compared to the maximum amount it can hold at that temperature (and pressure).

Mike.

 

[Torben]

The 50% you quote is relative humidity. Air at 20°C and 50% RH will contain 16 times more water vapour than air at -20°C and 50% RH.

Relative Humidity is the amount of water that the air contains compared to the maximum amount it can hold at that temperature (and pressure).

Mike.

You're right, I totally neglected that distinction. My mistake.

So I guess that makes the answer to the original post "yes, it will be drier if everything else is the same"?


Torben

 

[simrantogether]

Ok...

Hi all,

Wonderful answers ... So it is found that the air is drier...

Sometimes the cold air feels that it is wet... though it is dry...

Well...

Can this cold dry air evaporate the water easily ...

or the air that is hot but moisturious evaporates water easily...

Regards,

Simran..

 

[Pommie]

My pool evaporate the most when it is warm and windy (can be as high as 2" per week). The wind seems to be the main culprit. In winter when it is cool I get almost no evaporation.

Mike.

 

[theinfamousbob]

Argh. My fifteen minute walk to and from class today involved getting pelted in the face by tiny snowflakes that were bordering on miniature hail. Grabbed a friend's bike for my second round trip; proved to save about 2/3 of the total time, but hurt a bit more from the stinging snow and wind.

 

[jpanhalt]

Can this cold dry air evaporate the water easily ...

or the air that is hot but moisturious evaporates water easily...

It all has to do with relative humidity. Cold air can be great for drying cloths, particularly if the cloths are warm. And thermal soaring, which depends on the difference between the lapse rate of humid (relative) air to adiabatic expansion can also be great in the winter. Finally, Cleveland is on the downwind side of a great body of water. If there is any doubt about how much water can be contained in cold air from Canada, just come here and help shovel for one of our 12+ inch snowfalls. John

 

[Hank Fletcher]

If there is any doubt about how much water can be contained in cold air from Canada, just come here and help shovel for one of our 12+ inch snowfalls.

The snow that's been working its way across the continent finally hit New Brunswick last night. Woo hoo! Snow day for teachers! But with the temperature right around 0 Celsius, it was wet, heavy stuff even when I started digging out the cars at 7am. I wonder if the sea salt (near the coast) plays a factor in wetness relative to temperature?

To the OP: all I know is, I was wet enough by the time I'd finished shovelling two hours later. Living here all my life, I never really thought much about snow, until I had to explain it to some Mexicans once. The best I could do was say it's like the frost in the freezer, only everywhere. They couldn't believe it! I've known Africans who've moved to Canada and broken down crying their first winter - they just can't take the cold and snow! That said, I don't reckon I'd survive 5 minutes in the 40 Celsius weather my Indian friends find "just about right."

 

[dknguyen]

I've known Africans who've moved to Canada and broken down crying their first winter - they just can't take the cold and snow! That said, I don't reckon I'd survive 5 minutes in the 40 Celsius weather my Indian friends find "just about right."

Probably they are just as uncomfortable in 40C...but but they are used to it. It would be almost like them saying, "oh, those Canadians prefer -30C). Nope! Not by a longshot!

 

[Marks256]

i didn't read the whole thread, so...

Right now it is about 0F (about -18C) here at the moment (outside), with a lot of snow. The air is so dry i have a bloody nose, and my lips are really chapped.

Does that answer your question?

 

[Hero999]

It depends on the wind direction where you live and time of year.

Where I live, near Bedford.

In winter it can be dry when we have northerly winds, and it dips to -10C at night and barely gets above freezing in the day.

In the summer it can be dry when we have south easterly winds, it gets to 32C in the day and barely drops below 16C at night,

Most of the time though it isn't that hot or cold, it's normally just humid and wet, summer is low 20s in the day and low teens overnight and winter is about 6C in the day and 0C overnight.

Winter varies alot in the UK, if you live in Scotland it can get down to -30C but if you live in Scilly it barely gets below freezing on the coldest of winter nights.

 

[littletransistor]

Meanwhile in my place, (Malaysia, Southeast Asia), it's raining nowadays, and the sun's isn't really out for the past 3 days. The air is particularly colder and I have to switch off all the fans and even used blankets. Strange, isn't it?