Climate scientists say a warming climate is helping increase the amount of moisture the atmosphere can hold, leading to more humid days and warmer nights across the Northeast. As temperatures rise, the air is able to retain more water vapor, creating the muggy conditions that many Connecticut residents have experienced during recent summers. For meteorologists, humidity is often measured using the dew point, which reflects the actual amount of water vapor in the air. Connecticut's coastal location already gives the state a naturally humid climate, but a warmer atmosphere means those moisture-rich air masses can hold even more water vapor than they did decades ago. While Connecticut will still experience occasional stretches of dry air, climate data suggest that muggy conditions are becoming a larger part of the state's summer climate.