Dew
From Glossary of Meteorology
dew
Water condensed onto grass and other objects near the ground, the temperatures of which have fallen below the dewpoint of the surface air due to radiational cooling during the night, but are still above freezing; hoarfrost may form if the dewpoint is below freezing (
see frost point).
see frost point).
If the temperature falls below freezing after dew has formed, the frozen dew is known as white dew. The conditions favorable to dew formation are 1) a radiating surface, well insulated from the heat supply of the soil, on which vapor may condense; 2) a clear, still atmosphere with low specific humidity in all but the surface layers, to permit sufficient effective terrestrial radiation to cool the surface; and 3) high relative humidity in the surface air layers, or an adjacent source of moisture such as a lake. Dew plays an important role in the propagation of certain plant pathogens, such as late potato blight, which require dew-covered leaves from certain stages of sporulation. Dew is responsible for the optical effect known as the heiligenschein.
