Activity:

Let's go back in time to the afternoon of August 11, 2000 and check out two locations. Use the link below to access the surface map. (hint: The map will open in a new window, so you can toggle back and forth between the map and this page.)

(click here to view the surface map)

In Marfa, Texas (southwest Texas) the temperature is 88 degrees with a dew point of 43 degrees.

New Orleans, Louisiana has the same temperature, but the dew point is 70 degrees.

Which city would feel more sticky?

The difference in the way the air "feels" has been calculated and is called "heat index". The following table will give you the heat index values for several temperatures at different humidity levels.

Click here to view the Heat Index Table