Summary

This module has discussed the role of wind and mixing in daytime and nighttime temperatures. During the day, convection transports heat aloft from the Earth's surface, and transports colder air from above. The daytime high during sunny days depends strongly on how warm the air is aloft, near the 850 mb level. During night, wind can take the place of convection in causing mixing of air near the Earth's surface and aloft. Since the nighttime air at the surface is colder than air aloft, the temperature does not get as cold as it would if the air were calm and mixing were nonexistent.

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