Arkansas Storm Team Weather Blog: Why is Arkansas so humid?
The past few days have featured air that you can wear. We are seeing some of the stickiest air since last summer, and when you think of summer in Arkansas you think of two things… heat and humidity! It’s so hot and humid that people have invented the term Arkansauna!
But why is it so humid here?
The best measurement of humidity is the dew point. The dew point measures how much moisture is in the air. It’s also very easy to understand.
If the dew point is less than 50° the air is dry and you don’t notice anything. Between 50 and 60° you can feel a little something in the air, but it’s still comfortable. Between 60 and 70° it feels humid, and over 70° it feels like you are walking through pea soup!
For the most part, the closer to the equator the hotter and more humid it will be. However, this isn’t always the case.
Arizona is further south than Arkansas yet it has much lower humidity. For the most part, the western half of the United States is much less humid than the eastern half.
This is thanks to the Oceans. More specifically, the ocean currents.
Typically in the northern hemisphere, the ocean currents rotate clockwise. This means the Gulf Of Mexico along with the east coast has warm southerly ocean currents.
The clockwise current in the Pacific Ocean means the west coast sees a cold northerly ocean current. The cold air is more stable and holds less moisture. This is why the Southwest is a desert.
So, the reason why Arkansas is so humid is because it is located close to the Gulf Of Mexico.
So, don’t blame us for the humidity… blame the Gulf Of Mexico!
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