dew point and cloud bottoms

other than the heat t was a nice day in mid-Misouri - lots of fluffy
clouds with pancake-flat bottoms.

Driving with my daughter, we were talking about clouds and weather and
how there really was moisture below the clouds but the temperature was
just a bit too high to condense it.

the converstaion drifted to dew point and how each 1000 feet
represents a 4.5 degree F temperature change.

she asked, basically, 'if its 104 here and the cloud bottoms are at
6000 feet it must be (104 - 6*4.5) 77 degrees there'.

I dialed asos and the dew point was actually 63.

who can help with this calculus? does density altitude play a role in
the equation?

On 7/25/2012 9:43 AM, HankC wrote:
the converstaion drifted to dew point and how each 1000 feet
represents a 4.5 degree F temperature change.
...

I dialed asos and the dew point was actually 63.

who can help with this calculus? does density altitude play a role in
the equation?

I'm no expert on the theory, but keep in mind that the 4.5/1000
temperature change is a rule of thumb, and local conditions can be
different for a variety of reasons.

I find that cloud bases are seldom exactly where they are predicted to be.

Vaughn

On Jul 25, 9:00*am, Vaughn wrote:
On 7/25/2012 9:43 AM, HankC wrote:

the converstaion drifted to dew point and how each 1000 feet
represents a 4.5 degree F temperature change.
...

I dialed asos and the dew point was actually 63.

who can help with this calculus? does density altitude play a role in
the equation?

I'm no expert on the theory, but keep in mind that the 4.5/1000
temperature change is a rule of thumb, and local conditions can be
different for a variety of reasons.

I find that cloud bases are seldom exactly where they are predicted to be..

Vaughn

lol - just realized it's my eyeball-o-meter giving the cloud
altitudes.

it's been a while since it was calibrated and could easily be off by
2000 feet