Why is it cold in the desert at night?

Answer 1

Dirk is right - it's all down to humidity.

The very dry air of the desert holds little moisture and thus holds little heat so as soon as the sun sets, the desert cools considerably. Clear, cloudless skies also help to quickly release heat at night. Most deserts have very low temperatures at night.

They usually have a large diurnal and seasonal temperature range, with high daytime temperatures (in summer up to 45° C or 122° F), and low nighttime temperatures (in winter up to 0° C; 32° F) due to extremely low humidity. Water acts to trap infrared radiation from both the sun and the ground, and dry desert air is incapable of blocking sunlight during the day or trapping heat during the night. Thus during daylight all of the sun's heat reaches the ground. As soon as the sun sets the desert cools quickly by radiating its heat into space.

Answer 2

Because sand/silica is a great conductor of heat...like metal. That's why its so hot during the day and cold at night. The sand absorbs and stores all of the heat when the sun is out, but as soon as the sun sets, all the heat leaves the sand right away.

Other materials (asphalt for one) are bad conductors of heat, and once they absorb the heat, it takes a long time for it to disipate.

Would you rather hold a metal stick or a wooden stick in a fire?

Answer 3

generally, it is because the ground doesnt absorb and retain heat like ground covered with plants does. i believe the white sand and rocks also reflect alot of heat away during the day.

Answer 4

Because there is very litle to hold the heat from the day.

Answer 5

sooo it will be easier to cross the border duhhh... while the border patrol is drinking their hot chocolate to warm their bodies up, we're running trough the desert... :D "just playing don't get offended white people"

Answer 6

no humidity