Weather and the estuary influence each other in ways that help determine who and what lives there. On hot summer afternoons, it often feels noticeably cooler right by the river than a little ways inland because water bodies heat up and cool down more slowly than land. The air above water stays cooler than the air over land in summer and warmer than the air over land in winter. Both Native American and early European settlers preferred the north side of the Pamlico River in part because prevailing southwesterly summer winds blew cooler river air inland, making the north shore more comfortable during hot Carolina summers. Morning mists often blanket the Pamlico while bright sun shines inland when warm air moves across cool water, the water chills the air, and condensation forms fog. Temperature affects other weather conditions by causing changes in air pressure, wind, and humidity. When a warm air mass meets a cold air mass, the warm air rushes upward and reduces air pressure, and the lower the air pressure falls, the stormier the weather. The river is a constant source of evaporation, so air near it is unusually more humid than air farther inland. Most wind moves from areas of high air pressure toward areas of low air pressure, and greater differences in air pressure make wind blow faster. Surface wind direction may differ from high altitude winds, and water level in the Pamlico is influenced more strongly by wind than by rain.