A continental air mass is best described as?

A continental air mass is characterized as being dry because it forms over land, as opposed to over bodies of water. When air masses originate over land, they typically do not have the opportunity to pick up significant moisture, which results in lower humidity levels. This is in contrast to maritime air masses that develop over oceans or large lakes, where they absorb moisture and tend to be much wetter.

In meteorology, air masses are classified based on their source regions and the resulting conditions, including temperature and moisture content. Continental air masses can be categorized further into types such as continental polar (cold and dry) or continental tropical (warm and dry), but the defining characteristic that applies broadly is that they are dry compared to their maritime counterparts. This dry nature means that continental air masses will often lead to clearer skies and less precipitation when they dominate a given region, impacting weather patterns significantly.