GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - As this winter gives us some of the warmest weather in history, you may be feeling a few less sparks in the air. January was our fourth warmest on record nationwide, but it's not just the temperatures that have been trending higher. Dewpoints, which measure the amount of water vapor in the air, have been high this winter season as well.
According to University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley, our dewpoints this season have averaged in the 20-30 degree range. That is 25-30 degrees higher than normal!
Not only does this mean you may have been using less lotion and lip balm, but you may have felt less static electricity.
Moisture in the air is a good conductor of electricity, meaning it allows charged particles in the atmosphere to flow easily. When the dewpoints are low and the air is dry, however, the ions can build up to create a spark.
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