Day 86: An Interesting Question

Posted by pmarsh on 27 Mar 2010 | 0 comments

While browsing weather data this evening, I came across the following two images.  The image above is of 2-meter temperatures and the image below is of 2-meter relative humidity.  What is striking is how the shape of the lower temperatures is very similar to the shape of the higher relative humidities over eastern two-thirds of Oklahoma.  So, here is the question:

Are the lower temperatures the result of the higher relative humidity or is the higher relative humidity the result of lower temperatures?

My thought?  I believe that because dewpoint temperatures were relatively constant across the temperature gradients (not shown), and solar radiation was greater west of the colder temperatures (not shown), that the cold air resulted in the higher relative humidity and not the higher relative humidity resulting in lower temperatures.  What do you think?