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How does a high relative humidity affect weather above a low-level temperature inversion?
It leads to strong thunderstorms
It causes icing conditions
It can produce fog and low clouds
It leads to clear weather
The correct answer is: It can produce fog and low clouds
High relative humidity can significantly influence weather conditions occurring above a low-level temperature inversion. When high humidity exists beneath such an inversion, the air is saturated with moisture. This saturation can result in the formation of fog and low clouds, as the moisture present in the air accumulates and condenses when it reaches its dew point. In terms of atmospheric phenomena, low-level temperature inversions occur when a layer of warm air traps cooler air below it. The cooler air can become saturated with moisture, preventing it from rising. Consequently, as the humidity remains high, the moisture may condense into tiny water droplets, leading to the development of fog or low clouds in that trapped layer of air. In contrast, conditions leading to strong thunderstorms, icing, or clear weather would not typically occur directly as a result of high relative humidity in the context of a low-level temperature inversion. Thunderstorms usually require rising air and instability, icing occurs at higher altitudes and lower temperatures, and clear weather is more typical when the air is less humid and not trapped beneath an inversion layer.