🔍 Key Concepts

• Dew point and what it means about air temperature and moisture • How radiational cooling at night affects the Earth's surface and near-surface air • Why cloud cover and wind can either favor or prevent dew formation

💭 Think About

• Think about what must happen to the air right near the ground for water vapor to condense into liquid droplets on surfaces. • Consider how clouds at night change the rate at which the Earth's surface cools—does that make dew more or less likely? • Ask yourself what effect strong winds versus calm conditions have on allowing a thin layer of air near the ground to cool enough for condensation.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether the surface temperature must be below or above the dew point of the air for condensation to occur. • Consider if clear vs. cloudy skies help the surface cool more efficiently at night. • Check whether calm air vs. windy conditions is more favorable to forming a shallow, cooled layer of air right at the surface.