Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Forensics
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
North Carolina Outer Banks bracing for flooding, wind as Hurricane Erin passes. Chevron right
Hurricane Erin to unleash life-threatening surf along U.S. coast this week. Click for details Chevron right

Columbus, OH

70°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

70°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast® Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Forensics

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

Why does humidity make hot days feel more miserable?

By Ashley Williams, AccuWeather staff writer

Copied

Does humidity make you feel heavy, sluggish, foggy-headed or sticky? Certain foods might help you feel better.

If you’ve ever wondered why it can sometimes feel stiflingly hot as your clothes quickly dampen on a summer afternoon, humidity is the likely culprit.

Because of humidity, which is a measure of the air’s water vapor content, the body’s perspiration evaporates from the skin at a much slower rate.

“Evaporation is a cooling process,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek. “If you step out of the pool or a lake, you get a chill because the air is very dry, and that water almost instantly starts to evaporate off of your skin so that it cools it.”

According to the MIT School of Engineering, the rate at which water or sweat evaporates depends on the level of water currently in the air.

Sweaty boy wipes forehead

(Photo/gjohnstonphoto/Getty Images)

The water-saturated air causes your clothes to feel drenched in sweat, especially while wearing certain fabrics such as cotton, which can soak up and retain moisture.

“It just lays on your skin,” said Dombek. “That’s why you feel much more uncomfortable.”

When sweat can’t evaporate, the body can’t regulate its temperature, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

In contrast, engaging in physical activity in dry, normal conditions will cause any sweat to evaporate quickly from the skin.

Relative humidity versus dew point temperature

While the term “relative humidity” is common, the dew point temperature may be a better indicator of the level of water present in the air, according to Dombek.

The NWS defines relative humidity as “a dimensionless ratio of the amount of atmospheric moisture present relative to the amount that would be present if the air were saturated.”

“The dew point temperature is essentially the temperature to which you have to cool the air to get saturation,” said Dombek. “It’s a really good measure of how much water is actually in the air.”

According to Dombek, the dew point temperature varies for different regions.

“[For instance,] in the Midwest or the northeastern Atlantic states, if you get dew points in the 50s or lower, it would be considered comfortable,” he said. “Once you get to about 60 to 65 dew points, it’s moderately humid.”

RELATED:

Heat exhaustion vs. heatstroke: What are the warning signs and how should you react?
What does extreme heat do to the human body?
Experts share nutrition tips for reducing heat illness risk among youth athletes

“It’s not extreme or very oppressive, but you start to feel it when the dew point’s in that range,” he added.

Humidity begins to feel even more noticeable as dew points reach between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

“[For] northern Michigan, upstate New York or northern New England, [that dew point range] is almost to the point of being oppressive because they’re not used to it,” Dombek said.

Dew points above 70 F, which are common in Florida during summer, are considered to be oppressive.

Levels above 75 F feel “like a tropical rain forest,” Dombek said.

AccuWeather’s RealFeel® Temperature

The AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® factors in more than just the humidity or temperature, like the heat index does.

Since its creation in the 1990s, the RealFeel Temperature has taken into account the many different elements that impact how it actually feels outside.

The RealFeel Temperature also considers factors including cloud cover, wind, humidity, sun intensity and the sun’s angle.

“Time of the day is [also] a factor,” said Dombek. “From June into July, it’s going to feel way worse [between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.] when the sun is really high in the sky.”

Dry heat dangers

Though arid conditions may feel more comfortable than a sticky, humid day, dry heat can also be more dangerous because you may not realize you’re sweating, Dombek said.

“[When] you’re exerting yourself [by] taking a 10-mile hike or running, you feel great because you don’t have perspiration on your skin, it’s evaporating,” Dombek said.

Meanwhile, the body loses lots of water, increasing the likelihood of dehydration, he said.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s humid or dry,” Dombek said. “At a certain temperature and after so much physical exertion, you’re going to lose a certain amount of water.”

<hr>

For more safety and preparedness tips, visit AccuWeather.com/Ready.

AccuWeather ready logo
Report a Typo

Weather News

Hurricane

Warnings issued as Outer Banks faces flooding, massive waves from Erin

Aug. 20, 2025
Hurricane

Tropical Atlantic stays active after Erin; more systems likely

Aug. 20, 2025
Weather Forecasts

Flooding downpours to unfold in Northeast as Erin spins offshore

Aug. 20, 2025
video

How lightning triggers wildfires

Aug. 5, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Hurricane

Hurricane Erin to unleash dangerous surf, rip currents along East Coas...

27 minutes ago

Hurricane

Warnings issued as Outer Banks faces flooding, massive waves from Erin

28 minutes ago

Health

NYC Legionnaires’ disease cluster grows to more than 100 cases, includ...

2 days ago

Weather Forecasts

Flooding downpours to unfold in Northeast as Erin spins offshore

1 hour ago

Climate

The strange divide in how Americans experience summer temperatures

17 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Astronomy

Goodbye long days: Where sunset is now happening before 8 pm

4 days ago

Weather News

Heavy rain in Pakistan, India-administered Kashmir and Nepal kills 400

1 day ago

Weather News

Police: Suspected suicide attempt was just trucker trying to cool off

1 day ago

Recreation

Atacama Desert bloom phenomenon to return in mid-September

17 hours ago

Weather News

US teen pilot accused of unauthorized Antarctic landing reaches deal

5 days ago

AccuWeather Weather News Why does humidity make hot days feel more miserable?
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy™ About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy™ About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...