DECATUR, IL. (WAND) - When it comes to humidity, it's not a one-size fits all. Different body types handle weather differently, especially humidity. What some deem comfortable is oppressive to another, which leads me into the types of humidity. Some prefer to hear about relative humidity while others want the info via dewpoint temperatures. That's not all there is though.
Humidity is the measure of the amount of water vapor present in the air. It is an important factor in weather, climate, and various environmental and industrial processes.
There's absolute humidity, or the total mass of water vapor present in a given volume of air.
There's relative humidity; the ratio of the current amount of water vapor in the air to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a specific temperature, expressed as a percentage.
How about specific humidity? The ratio of the mass of water vapor to the total mass of a same-size air parcel.
And, of course, dewpoint; the temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapor and dew forms. It is a measure of the moisture content in the air.
As always, stay safe, stay sweaty, and stay weather-aware.
Copyright 2026. WANDTV. All Rights Reserved.
