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Actually, the Bermuda high is what brings the most humidity into the central and eastern US. A strong Bermuda high will pump hot an d humid air out of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico to these areas. The Pacific coast rarely gets humid because either your air is coming from the desert areas or of the cool Pacific Ocean.
I think you're on to something, ColdCanadian. But keep in mind, it doesn't really become humid immediately east of the Rockies. Ex-- the Front Range of Colorado, where I'm from, is east of the rockies and it's still a very dry place. It's totally flat land from there all the way east to the Appalachian mountians, but it doesn't really become humid until you get to the eastern section of the Great Plains, somewhere in the middle of Kansas/Nebraska/Oklahoma-- hundreds of miles east of the Rockies. Also, elevation can't be it; Phoenix, where I'm living right now, is at around 1,000 ft elevation, and it's EXTREMELY dry here. Atlanta is also around 1,000 ft, very low (and other desert areas like Yuma are almost at sea level) and they are very humid. Some of the mountains in NC, VA, WV, etc, can get up to 5,000 ft, and they are still humid and lush. I think you're explanation of warm water oceans has a lot to do with it. Any other takes?
I've noticed when driving from Denver to Kansas City that almost as soon as I enter Kansas, I feel the humidity. I figured humidity came up from the Gulf and since the Front Range is at a high altitude and west of the Gulf, the humidity can't make it up here. Just a guess.
The West Coast isn't humid because of the cool water temps. in the Pacific. Just like when you take a hot shower, the bathroom really steams up, but a cool shower, it doesn't.
I've noticed when driving from Denver to Kansas City that almost as soon as I enter Kansas, I feel the humidity. I figured humidity came up from the Gulf and since the Front Range is at a high altitude and west of the Gulf, the humidity can't make it up here. Just a guess.
The West Coast isn't humid because of the cool water temps. in the Pacific. Just like when you take a hot shower, the bathroom really steams up, but a cool shower, it doesn't.
The other thing to keep in mind about why the humidity does not extend generally extend as far west as Denver is that the prevailing winds are out of the west, thus driving that warm humid air eastwards - and the further north it drifts the further east it is likely to be driven. Thus you usually see severe weather and rainfall from the Gulf appearing over the country as a sort of crescent shaped fan over the midwest, with the northern sections further to the east and the southern sections further west.
...the Front Range of Colorado, where I'm from....
Remember me? Your nemesis who was complaining about Montrose yesterday? Now I see why you got mad -- cause you're from the Front Range. Tell ya what.......I lived in the Denver area for 11 years twixt '82 and '93 -- mostly in Broomfield and Castle Rock. It wasn't a bad place then, but it just exploded after I left to move to another state in '93. I would like, maybe, to return to Broomfield, as I really don't care for the Western Slope. See, I began vacationing on the W.S. in 1970, and it makes me sick to see what it has become, especially Durango. Back in the 70's and 80's, and even very early 90's, I had no problem with anybody over here -- even the Denver people; heck, I WAS a "Denver type." I loved this area and vowed to retire here and stay forever. But now the world has changed, and I don't like what I see. I'm very angry/unhappy these days and really don't know where to turn. I've considered, like I said, Broomfield, but also places out east like the Kansas City area where I can see the full sunrise. Anyway, I'm not the bad person you think I am -- we just got a little testy there. As for the questions you've been asking posters about why it's humid east and dry west, I just figure the west has some deserts, and so we, like in Colorado, get the dry desert winds and dry air from them. The Gulf of Mexico influences a lot of the weather east of Denver, especially when it collides with the cold air coming down from Canada. I'm no expert, but it's an interesting subject.
In many cases, warm sea = good climate. However in the case of the Gulf of Mexico, it's surface temperature is hot in mid to late summer, often reaching 92F / 33C. The Gulf of Mexico is shallow compared to the open areas of the Atlantic or Pacific, explaining why it's surface temperature exceeds all but a few other ocean areas on earth. Gulf of Mexico ranks alongside Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Bay of Bengal as highest ocean water temps on earth. Living along the coast of those areas is quite unpleasant during the long hot season when humidity is typically above 90 percent.
It's not one factor that everyone should be looking for.
High temps, vapor pressure, altitude, wind speeds and directions.....ect. Sorry....it's a total system that only true professionals would understand....I can't even come close.
The ocean currents flow north from the equator in the east, resulting in warmer water, more cloud formation, higher rainfall, and greater moisture content of the air. In the west, the ocean current flows south from Alaska, resulting in colder water, less evaporation and cloud formation, lower rainfall, and less moisture content of the air. Same is true in south America. The east coast (Brazil, Argentina) is very humid while the west coast (Chile, Peru) is very dry.
The rain shadow effect is minor in this case.
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Front Range and Humidity
