Instrumentation for sensing moisture content of material using a transient thermal pulse is comprised of a sensing probe having a sensing element in the form of a ribbon excited by a constant current pulse from a source to increase the temperature and therefore the resistance of the ribbon linearly. Moisture in web material will limit the increase of temperature during the pulse in proportion to the moisture content. This increase in temperature produces a proportional increase in resistivity which is measured with a wheatstone bridge as a change in voltage displayed by a measurement display unit. The probe is glued in a shallow groove of a Lucite bar and connected to copper pins embedded in the bar
