What does higher dew point mean?
The dew point indicates the amount of moisture in the air. The higher the dew point, the higher the moisture content of the air at a given temperature. Conversely, the dew point of humid air will be higher than the dew point of dry air.
Since this is not my area of expertise, I searched Google under the key words "dew point" to get these possible sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dew_point
http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_dewpoint_temperature.htm
In the future, you can find the information you desire more quickly, if you use appropriate key words to do your own search. Also see http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/.
I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
The dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapor, causing condensation to form. A higher dew point indicates that there is more moisture in the air.
To understand why a higher dew point means more moisture, we need to know two key concepts: saturation and relative humidity. Saturation refers to the condition when the air is holding the maximum amount of moisture it can at a given temperature. Relative humidity, on the other hand, expresses the amount of moisture in the air as a percentage of the maximum moisture the air can hold at that temperature.
When the air temperature is close to the dew point, the relative humidity is high because the air is nearly saturated. If the dew point temperature is higher, it means the air can hold more moisture. Consequently, even if the actual amount of moisture in the air remains the same, the moisture will make up a smaller percentage of what the air can hold, resulting in a lower relative humidity. Similarly, a lower dew point indicates less moisture in the air and a higher relative humidity.
In summary, a higher dew point means there is more moisture in the air, while a lower dew point indicates less moisture.