Quote:
Originally Posted by Pinner
Last year at the Edmonton Airport it was -46 @ 86% humidity. Alberta is not as dry as the whiners that always bringing up humidity think.
How humid do you think it is when the fog is coming off a river @ -40 ?
It is often very foggy when it's that cold. But it's a dry fog  |
As far as weather forecasts and condition reporting goes, the type of humitidy they are referencing is
relative humidity as opposed to
absolute humidity.
What this means is that 86% humidity in the winter is different from 86% humidity in the summer. Cold air is less able to hold water within it than warmer air is.
I think you're not really understanding what is meant by the term humidity as it relates to the weather.
Your (and many people's) defnition is: how much water is in the air, as if this was the same at all times.
The proper definition of relative humidity is: how much water is in the air as compared to the total possible amount it could hold, which changes based on air temperature.
Therefore, yes, Calgary is as dry as people who complain about humidity claim it to be.