How drier fall air can lead to complications

It's no surprise that the average temperature will continue to fall heading deeper into fall. This means the atmosphere will be providing drier air conditions back over much of Mid-Missouri. This drier air can lead to complications throughout the fall and winter months.

Dew points have remained steady into the lower 40s for the majority of Mid-Missouri as dry air surges in from the northwest.

With cooler temperatures, the atmosphere is not able to hold as much water vapor. Imagine a sponge filled with water. When the sponge is laid in the water unfolded, it absorbs large quantities of the water in the bowl. When warm air is introduced into the environment it expands allowing it to hold more water in a given space. Cold air contracts meaning there is not as much water vapor that can be held. Now imagine the sponge is squeezed shrinking the size in the palm of your hand, and his acts similar to the environment. The water is then forced out of the sponge and it can not hold nearly as much water.

The map above shows the relative humidity based off a percentage. This is the percent of water in the atmosphere it is holding compared to what it can hold at the given temperature. These lower values show drier air over the region.

One of the main complications caused by the cooler air is less moisture can be transported to regions in the event of precipitation. Rainfall totals in the later fall and winter months average the least amount of precipitation.

Another issues associated to drier air during the late fall and winter months is the build-up of static electricity. During the summer, the humidity increases. This allows charges to be conducted more effectively from objects discrediting any build up charges.

During the drier and cooler months of fall and winter, the air is no longer as effective at being a conductor and charges can build more effectively. Once a more conductor effectively touches an object or person with a build up of charges, they then act as an outlet to stabilize the charge creating static electricity discharges.

Dryer sheets act effectively to discharge build-ups within clothes in the dryer. Another way to help deal with static felt within clothes is to take a damp wash cloth and dabble some the clothes to reduce the electric charge build-up.