231%
 

That was the relative humidity this morning. Too bad it's still damn dry when the temperature is -1º. This marks the sixth day in a row that the temperature has been below zero when I got up. Tomorrow it's supposed to hit 20º--a freakin' heat wave! (It has to warm up to snow tomorrow.)

Uh, humidity can't be over 100%.

Yeah, we've had some REALLY cold weather here too lately. It got down to 27.6°F at my house yesterday morning. Brrrr. ;)

Yes, our winter has been much colder all ready this year. I think we've had colder temps than we've had for several years. This Global Warming is killing us.

Yeah, how do they get more than 100%

Super-saturation. Don't you guys know anything? ;)

Seriously if the relative humidity is at 100% at 40º, and then the temperature cools to 20º, then the relative humidity will be over 100%.

The relative humidity measures how much water can be absorbed by the air at a specific temperature. If the temperature has dropped, the air can still carry the more moisture than it could absorb at that temperature without precipitating the difference.

I thought it had to precipitate? But it's been 20 years (exactly) since I took a meteorology course in college.

Yeah, I've not been able to find anything that says that it's possible to have more than 100% humidity. WHen the temp drops, the water will condense out.

I found someplace that says that it's possible. (and several places that says that it's not)

USATODAY.com

So, there's 1 vote for.

There are several votes against.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate!

Tell me about it.
A couple of nights ago it got down to 48 degrees here, I had to put on a jacket in the morning!

Eh, the TV said 231% humidity this morning. I know that super-saturation is possible in any solution. I'd never heard that it was supposedly impossible in the atmosphere.

Anything else the TV tells you that seems wrong, but you believe anyways? :p

its all relative

Something about Hope and Change...

This isn't my field of expertise but I had some education on the topic years ago. I could see 102%, maybe 105%, but 231%? Nope. Not for more than a very short time.

relative humidity is by definition a percentage of capability. How much moisture is the atmosphere capable of retaining under given temperature, barometric pressure, etc.
In other words it's a scale of zero to 100. It's actually more complicated that that but that's an easy way to remember it.

Having said that, it is possible uncer certain conditions to go over 100% but that capability is projected or estimated. It isn't perfectly accurate under all conditions. If the air cools quickly it might take time for the moisture to condense so for that time it would be over 100% but not much.

Extra, extra... read all about it:
"humidity higher than 100%" - Google Search

That Global Warming is going to kill you.
I would post a picture of Dana Point today but,

I checked the pages listed in that search.
Several of them referenced "relative humidity above 100%" but did not elaborate.
One of them even suggested it was impossible to go over 100% (which I do not agree with).
how much higher than 100%?
Was there a specific page you were referencing or just results of a search?

I found this which is of interest and seems reasonable:

USATODAY.com

Nuttin' specific... I looked briefly at a couple of them and decided to leave the in-depth analysis to the chemical engineers and meteorologists amongst us.

I'm an artist... all that stuff is Greek to me... beyond a certain point... I usually made decent grades in science class.

LOL, I understand. I'm an engineer and don't have an artistic bone in my body ;)
The curiosity was really getting to me because I THOUGHT I understood it but wasn't 100% sure.

Is it possible to be more than 100% sure?