Humidity: For or against?

[Original Wally]

Despise hot sticky. Lived in So. Fl. for three horrible summers. Icky. Give me a Sacramento day of 100+ and lo humidity ANY day. Way better, IMHO.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I prefer the low humidity. The only thing I hate about the low humidity is the static shock that I frequently get. Like when I get off the car, open the door or touch an electronic device. Fortunately, I have not zapped any of these devices.

How funny--this reminded me of my first time out of the south, when I was 17 and went to Washington DC for an internship. It was winter and every day I got to the office, I shocked myself on the door handle. My (Tennessee born) boss laughed when he saw the full-size can of Static Guard I carried in my purse!

When I watched Office Space again the other night for the billionth time, I saw that the door-static-shock was also part of the Innotek torture chamber!

 

[ERD50]

I guess the graphic is averages? For me, it's the heat/humidity combo that I hate. So IL may be lumped with FL, but I'd bet that there are many more days in FL that I would call uncomfortable for heat/humidity than in IL. We do get heat/humidity that is about as bad as anywhere, but only a few weeks a year.

A graphic that showed average days/year of uncomfortable heat/humidity would probably show more differentiation.

Cool humidity can be bad too, but we don't get much of that. But those posts by T-Al and the long, cool humid weather they have there just give me the creeps - I couldn't take that. We get a few days like that where everything is wet and slimy and yuck. No thanks.

edit/add: and low humidity in the winter here can take a toll, but with a furnace humidifier we get it into a comfortable range without a thought - humidistat takes care of that, and the furnace humidifiers drain as they run, so no significant build of minerals or slime.

-ERD50

 

[Bikerdude]

Well all I can say is, I like humidity until its too humid and then I like it dry until its too dry, then I like humidity.....well you get it....right?.... Maybe I'm just picky.

 

[Rambler]

I can never figure out how I survived the hot, humid later part of summer in Tokyo (or any time for that matter in Singapore). Back in Central CA now, semi arid and wonderful. Summers are quite dry, none of the stickiness of Asian summers.

R

 

[traineeinvestor]

Living in Hong Kong, it's either humid or very humid (but at least we have seasons). During spring and summer we need to have the dehumidifiers on all the time.

Here's a table showing stress levels at various combinations of heat and humidity: http://www.sportmed.mb.ca/uploads/pdfs/Humidex Sheet.pdf

 

[Midpack]

I guess the graphic is averages? For me, it's the heat/humidity combo that I hate. So IL may be lumped with FL, but I'd bet that there are many more days in FL that I would call uncomfortable for heat/humidity than in IL. We do get heat/humidity that is about as bad as anywhere, but only a few weeks a year.

A graphic that showed average days/year of uncomfortable heat/humidity would probably show more differentiation.

Do you have one to share?

 

[ERD50]

Do you have one to share?

No, it was just an observation/comment, not a criticism (which seems to be the way you took it?). Your chart kicked off the discussion, so I think it served its purpose. I think my comment of averages was relevant to the discussion, so I mentioned it.

If/when I plan a move, I will look into detailed climate info, and uncomfortable humidity days/year will be big on my list. But I'm not going to take the time to search a national chart like that now, I have no need for it.

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

No, it was just an observation/comment, not a criticism (which seems to be the way you took it?). Your chart kicked off the discussion, so I think it served its purpose. I think my comment of averages was relevant to the discussion, so I mentioned it.

If/when I plan a move, I will look into detailed climate info, and uncomfortable humidity days/year will be big on my list. But I'm not going to take the time to search a national chart like that now, I have no need for it.

-ERD50

Well alrighty! Have a happy day...

 

[Col. Klink]

It's the second day of Spring here in New England and a balmy 34 degrees. I have lived where it is hot and dry but plan to head southeast to hot and humid. Hot and dry brings with it brush and or forest fires, something I experienced once and that is enough. Nothing wrong with a little sweat.

 

[rbmrtn]

Here's one by climate type, the legend is a little small

http://www.bonap.org/Climate Maps/climate48shadeA.png


And more from the same place

Climate Types

 

[ERD50]

Well alrighty! Have a happy day...

You can't make me!

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/day-of-happiness-65765.html#post1298350




-ERD50

 

[zinger1457]

I've played golf in Phoenix when it's 110 and it's doable, just need to stay hydrated. I've also played golf in the southeast when it was 95 and high humidity and not so doable, could never keep my hands dry and it's very uncomfortable doing anything in sweat drenched clothing.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Well alrighty! Have a happy day...

No, that was yesterday!


I was surprised that the map showed both the Bay Area and south TX as semi-arid. They feel very different to me, so semi-arid must comprise a wide range of temps and humidity.

 

[ls99]

I like humidity around 40 to 50% The further away the more annoying it gets.

 

[Nemo2]

Kinda enjoyed the (almost) zero humidity during my 7+ years in Riyadh, (problem there is, since sweat doesn't accumulate on your skin, remembering to drink enough)........not really a fan of high humidity.

BTW, for a somehow related topic, how do people feel about gravity?

 

[Sarah in SC]

BTW, for a somehow related topic, how do people feel about gravity?

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

 

[MichaelB]

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

I know that for a fact.

 

[Midpack]

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

You can make it to three? I'm impressed!

 

[HFWR]

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, [-]floor[/-] shrub...

FIFY

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Interesting posts on pluses and minuses concerning humidity. Being in Florida for 23 years now kind of gets you used to humidity. I still don't like the ultra high humidity where you can work up a sweat just getting the newspaper in the morning. Prior to Florida we lived in Michigan, and when the humidity gets really high in the summer, the residents aren't used to it and they really suffer. The summer before we moved down here (1990), it was so hot and humid in Michigan that they closed some manufacturing plants and offices for a couple days. It was miserable. We had to move to Florida to get some relief.

 

[F4mandolin]

and...could just be me...but....to me there is a definition. Humid=bugs. Dry=no bugs.

 

[Midpack]

and...could just be me...but....to me there is a definition. Humid=bugs. Dry=no bugs.

Looks like "bug" populations correlate with temperature most, then humidity? http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/...efile/resource/marcop/Weather and Insects.pdf

 

[timeasterday]

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

LOL! For me - it was sidewalk. Later it was - bottom of pool. Both resulted in a broken nose.