As DFW’s dew point flirts with record-breaking levels, here’s what it means to you

Over the weekend, humidity levels remained oppressive, staying in the low to mid-70s. Overnight, dew point values increased significantly due to cooler air, explained Monique Sellers, meteorologist with the weather service.

“Essentially, it mixes with the drier air so it actually lowers throughout the day,” Sellers said, adding the dew point climbed up to 77 degrees Saturday and Sunday night.

However, the term dew point is often misconstrued as a metric similar to temperature since they’re both measured in degrees Fahrenheit, Sellers said. The reality is both serve different purposes and inform about different things in the environment.

What does dew point mean and how does it differ from humidity?

In short, dew point is the point at which the air forms dew, or tiny drops of water that contribute to a sticky, unpleasant feeling outside.

In other words, dew point tells us the temperature the air needs to be cooled to in order to achieve a relative humidity of 100% — or when dew forms — Sellers said.

“If the dew point is 80, it’s not going to take very much to cool it down before we start to see that moisture develop,” she said.

By itself, dew point doesn’t mean much. But combined with temperatures, it is often a good indicator of what it will feel like outside. When temperatures are close to the dew point degree, water vapors begin to develop, Sellers explained.

“When you start getting your dew point as close to your temperature, that’s when you start seeing things like fog and mist and things like that,” she said.

Moreover, dew point differs from humidity as it measures the amount of moisture in the air — regardless of what the temperature is.

On the other hand, relative humidity is based on temperature, and tends to rise at night. When it’s cooler outside, it’s going to feel more humid, Sellers said.

What does the rest of the week look like?

If you’re looking for some relief from humidity, don’t hold your breath.

The forecast for the rest of the week is roughly the same — at least in terms of the dew point, and is expected to remain in the mid-70s until this weekend.

“It takes some sort of action — like maybe some drier air moving in — to actually bring those dew points values back down,” Sellers said. But dry air, which can come from a cold front or a dry line, is hard to attain during the summer months, and especially in Texas.

However, temperatures are anticipated to drop a bit, which could provide some reprieve to North Texans.

“It may feel a little less hot, which kind of brings the heat index down, which makes it a little less stressful to be out in the heat,” Sellers said.