how do you deal with this high humidity in the south?

[DuluthGA]

Humidity was unusually high in N GA Saturday thanks to all the Friday and overnight rain. Our Pball group starts at 8:30 and the “fog” was so dense it was hard to see the ball. It was like playing in the steam room. Only played for an hour and called it a day. Normally mornings are better until the sun gets going then it;s time to get going inside. It’s hard to remember growing up in the south with no A/C. I guess we didn’t know any better and just survived.

 

[11522914]

How do you deal with this high humidity in the south?

I simply moved from south Florida to North Carolina where I only have to deal with it for ~3 months instead of 12. And I got 4 distinct seasons as a bonus. [emoji16]

 

[Venturer]

I'm in North Ga. and have been for 71 years. I ain't got yust to it yet. I am a sweater my wife not so much. We go for a walk or go out to walk the dog around the house and I come back in with a wet shirt, my DW will have a little persperation on her forhead. This morning it is 75 degrees and 95% humidity. But it will start cooling down in October/November when riding my motorcycle up into the mountains will be glorious!

 

[folivier]

How do I handle the heat and humidity? Bought a cabin in the Colorado mountains and enjoy 70’s and low humidity. I'll head back to Louisiana in November.
When w*rking I was outside every day and suffered through it. Some days rather than eat lunch I’d go by our house and jump in the pool to lower my core temperature. Then after work I’d soak in the pool again to lower my core temp. That helped a lot, much better than just sitting in AC. My DW flew home for a week to visit family and she said it was brutal walking out of the airport in Baton Rouge. I normally leave the condo AC at 84º and it runs 3-4 hours/day. While she was there it was running 10 hours/day set at 75º. But everyone is saying how it’s never been this hot. Yet when we were kids we didn’t have AC in the house. We spent all day outside playing in the same heat. We’re just older now and have spent 50 years or more in AC so our bodies are used to cooler temps.
I'm also a sweater and always tell my wife she can put on more clothes if she's cold. But I can't take off more than what I'm wearing!

 

[JoeWras]

Did some yard work this morning. It started out stifling, with a dew point of 74. After a few hours, I got this nice breeze and felt my sweat work. I thought the dew point crashed. Came inside and checked my weather station. It went down to 72.

I guess I am acclimated when I think a dew point of 72 is nice.

 

[djsander]

Stay inside for 6-8 months with AC running. Drink lots of water. Get up early to do yard work. I lived in humid climates for around 30 years. Now live in the desert. It’s a dry heat. Now it is nice to get out of the shower, dry off and actually be dry.

 

[Venturer]

My pup got me up at 630 this am. We took a tour around the house inspecting for any damage from last evening's thunder storm. The only "damage" was one of DW's flower beds had about 1/2 of the pine straw mulch washed out and onto the sidewalk. Came back in and noticed the indoor weather station showed 71* temp and 99% humidity, instead of breathing air we were drinking it in, the problem will get worse in a cupple of hrs. when it hits the 90's again.

 

[JoeWras]

This is bogus!

Dew point 76, Temp 96, Feels like 110.

Ahhh! I was actually outside in my garden an hour before this when the feels like was "only" 105.

Madness.

Meanwhile, google is laying new fiber and there are hard working ditch diggers around. I really feel for these guys.

 

[48Fire]

I recently read an article about at what temperature/humidity can a human not survive. Their answer was at 95 degrees with 100% humidity a human will die in 6 or 7 hours, no running required. In 100% humidity the body still sweats, but there is no evaporative cooling. The 95 degree air is hot enough that it isn't contributing to body cooling either. As time passes, internal temps rise and eventually organs begin to succumb to it and shut down.
The point of the above should be to keep in mind that really high humidity with high temperatures impairs your body's ability to cool itself.

From an article I just read:

"Some of the most important organs affected by extreme heat are the kidneys, heart, gut and brain.

When the body is dehydrated, the brain sends a signal to stop circulating as much blood to the kidneys to avoid losing fluid in the form of urine. The kidneys quickly become deprived of oxygen, which damages cells there and can cause kidney failure.

When the heart, which is working in overdrive, can’t keep up with the demand of increased circulation, it also doesn’t receive enough blood and becomes deprived of oxygen. This can cause potentially deadly damage. It’s especially a concern for people with underlying conditions that weaken the heart muscle.

Cells in the gut appear to be particularly susceptible to heat. When they become too hot, the wall of the intestines can start to break down, allowing bacteria to leak into the bloodstream."

I had heat exhaustion a few years ago, and it wasn't fun. Felt like 4 days of the flu. My wife had heat exhaustion on Thursday, and she's finally over it today, 4 days later. We have had heat indexes over 100 by 10:00, then topping off around 108.

I stopped golfing last week. When the feels like temperatures get over 100, it's not only less enjoyable, it's just dangerous, especially at our age. Some of my fellow golfers chide me for not being manly, but I prefer to focus on indoor activities when it gets crazy hot. I have been doing genealogy and planning some travel - especially to cooler areas

 

[48Fire]

I'm a dew point < 60 kinda guy.



.

That's a great chart, and one I swear by here in Florida. Yesterday our dew point was 79! It was tough to breathe. We finally got some rain today, and it's down to 75 today, not quite miserable. I start riding a golf cart when it hits 70, and when it is over 74, I don't play at all.

 

[JoeWras]

That's a great chart, and one I swear by here in Florida. Yesterday our dew point was 79! It was tough to breathe. We finally got some rain today, and it's down to 75 today, not quite miserable. I start riding a golf cart when it hits 70, and when it is over 74, I don't play at all.

It is a good chart! We made "Miserable" today.

Relative Humidity is too much of a changing target. Keep it simple and look at the dewpoint. That's all you need to know.

 

[RunningBum]

I've learned to pay more attention to the dew point the last few years, but some things make me wonder. Portland is hitting 103 this afternoon, but with a dew point of 54. I doubt that would feel pleasant for any outdoor activity where you exert yourself.

 

[JoeWras]

I've learned to pay more attention to the dew point the last few years, but some things make me wonder. Portland is hitting 103 this afternoon, but with a dew point of 54. I doubt that would feel pleasant for any outdoor activity where you exert yourself.

It won't feel great, but you also won't look like you peed your pants. Sorry to be so graphic. After 2 hours of gardening this morning, that's what it looked like. The sweat from my shirt just wasn't evaporating and drained down onto my pants. 96 isn't far away from 103. 54 is far away from 76 (dewpoints). I'll take Portland's weather today, thank you.

"But it's a dry heat..." Yes it is. It matters.

 

[frayne]

Played golf yesterday in about 105 heat index and wasn't all that uncomfortable. Just have to resign yourself to the fact that every bit of clothing is going to be wet. As some refer to the conditions as "butt crack sweating hot" which is actually a pretty good summation of the situation.

 

[Venturer]

Here we are again. Just got back in from the round the yard tour with spoiled pooch still 75^ but "only"75% humidity, so I didn't break out in sweat when opening front door,I waited till we got 1/2 way around house on our tour! (-:

 

[Fermion]

We have had a pretty mild summer here in eastern Washington state but today it is supposed to hit 104, a near record.

The humidity though is 19%

 

[RetireAge50]

I love it here in the Rio Grande Valley especially for my largest organ my skin!

We used to go to Palm Springs or Arizona and my skin would be cracked and bloody within a couple weeks. Here I can dig in the dirt or play pickleball or swim in the ocean and my skin stays thick and soft.

Here is a pic taken just now.

 

[W2R]

I love it here in the Rio Grande Valley especially for my largest organ my skin!

We used to go to Palm Springs or Arizona and my skin would be cracked and bloody within a couple weeks. Here I can dig in the dirt or play pickleball or swim in the ocean and my skin stays thick and soft.

+1

I know exactly what you mean! Years ago I used to live in a dry, inland part of San Diego (Spring Valley), and my skin would be bloody and awful all the time (even with vast quantities of chapstick and lotions used each day). I love living in New Orleans, which is very humid. My skin doesn't crack or bleed at all any more. I think that our high humidity explains why most Southern women have such smooth, soft, lovely skin.

It's great to live in a part of the country where water isn't so scarce, also. I guess I was never meant to be a desert gal.

Right now, here in New Orleans, it's 91F with a high of 101F predicted. Dewpoint is 79F, and humidity is 74%. 41% chance of rain and I sure hope that materializes.

 

[frayne]

New term I hadn't heard, swamp ass!
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lucas-glover-swamp-ass-robert-garrigus-the-loop-podcast

 

[meleana]

I absolutely hate high heat and humidity and I live in New Hampshire. I have to be in air conditioning or in the water and that's exactly what I do all summer here.

 

[KarenF]

I live near Atlanta and I embrace the heat and humidity as an extra training effect for biking or running. It actually helps to train for altitude, so if you ever head to 10,000 feet in Colorado you will acclimate quickly lol.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

It Makes us laugh, how some folks Winge about the heat and humidity while in Florida. If they do not like it why for heaven's sakes do they even come here? We hate, despise loath and avoid the cold and snow. THAT IS WHY WE DO NOT GO OR LIVE IN SUCH CLIMES!

We do not Winge about it, as there is no point, it ain't gonna change just for us, so we just avoid it. Not really that hard in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Dtail]

It Makes us laugh, how some folks Winge about the heat and humidity while in Florida. If they do not like it why for heaven's sakes do they even come here? We hate, despise loath and avoid the cold and snow. THAT IS WHY WE DO NOT GO OR LIVE IN SUCH CLIMES!

We do not Winge about it, as there is no point, it ain't gonna change just for us, so we just avoid it. Not really that hard in the grand scheme of things.

Yup, have 2 neighbors that hate the heat here. I asked them why do you live here then? Crickets.....

 

[W2R]

It Makes us laugh, how some folks Winge about the heat and humidity while in Florida. If they do not like it why for heaven's sakes do they even come here? We hate, despise loath and avoid the cold and snow. THAT IS WHY WE DO NOT GO OR LIVE IN SUCH CLIMES!

We do not Winge about it, as there is no point, it ain't gonna change just for us, so we just avoid it. Not really that hard in the grand scheme of things.

Great point. I don't think I have even seen snow since I had to go to a work conference at a federal retreat in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, thirty years ago. In retirement, I can't even begin to imagine traveling north and then complaining about the ice and snow to people who have chosen to live there! Maybe they like skiing or skating or building snowmen with their kids or other cold weather pastimes. Not my choice but it doesn't mean it can't be theirs.

I love the heat, even right now when it's 77F inside my house, 102F outside, and my AC is working [-]like a son of a g**[/-] hard. Normally I would rest in the heat of the day, but today I didn't want to! Instead I just finished "unboxing" and putting away about $200 worth of heavy, bulky Amazon household goods, and cutting up the boxes for disposal. So, I'm a little overheated at the moment but hey, it's done and it was my choice to tackle that project in the heat of the day.

 

[MarieIG]

My friend (born, raised, and living in her dream home in Florida) said their summers are like the winters for northerners, in that they spend the temperature extremes indoors. Over the summer, when she and her DH walk outside, they start their walk by 5:00 a.m. and finish by 7:00 a.m.

She totally cannot tolerate cold weather.