What is the dew point?

The dew point refers to the temperature at which water vapor in the air begins to condense into liquid water, indicating that the air is fully saturated with moisture at this temperature. When the temperature of the air drops to the dew point, it reaches a state of saturation, meaning it can no longer hold all of its moisture in the form of vapor and condensation starts. This is critical in understanding weather patterns, cloud formation, and humidity levels.

While saturation and condensing are closely related, the dew point specifically pinpoints the temperature at which saturation occurs, making it a crucial metric in meteorology for forecasting weather conditions and understanding humidity.