How long does it take to get accustomed to the dry Minnesota air? (home, place to live) - City-Data Forum

jj68 · 02-19-2009, 05:03 PM

Hello All,

I hope this question doesn't sound too ignorant. I am considering moving to Minnesota and visited recently. I really liked the area and felt it would be a good place to live as I enjoy snow and outdoor activities and found the people to be so friendly. There was one thing though that I had a concern about. While it was cold, the cold is not what I had difficulty dealing with. It was the extreme dry air. It actually hurt. It felt like my entire insides were shrivelling up with every breath. My eyes were in constant pain. I actually felt ill from the dry air. I was constantly drinking water but there wasn't enough water to quench my thirst. Unfortunately, I couldn't wait to go home as a result.

My hope is that this is something that one gets accustomed to quickly, but I wanted to ask if anyone else who is not originally from MN but has moved there from a location that is warmer and not as dry has experienced this and find out how long it took to get used to the dry air. Also if there are any tricks to get yourself used to it quickly.

Thank you so much for any info you can share.

Clifford63 · 02-19-2009, 05:44 PM

Couple thoughts.

You get a bit of the double whammy with inside and outside air both being dry. One thing you see people do in the home is run humidifiers. There are stand alone models and those that hook right up to a furncace like aprilair. Helps keep the humidity in the home up to tolerable range. The colder the outside air, the harder it is to keep inside air humid. Typically in winter months you can keep a home between 30 and 45 percent humid without too much effort. As it gets colder outside, you do see a tendancy for windows to start frosting up which is not good.

As far as the outside air goes, the colder it gets the drier the air is. It makes some sense to look at what temperatures we had when you visitied. Could be you got the worst of the worst. Below zero is really dry air, add a little wind and it is tough to deal with.

Also a factor is air quality. Generally we have pretty good air quality, but sometimes a system will settle in and there are more particulates which does affect some people more than others. I don't notice it so much, but my wife does (she is from Florida).

Summers are actually on the humdid side most of the time. Spring and Fall are pleasant in terms of humidity. More than likely a case where you would see the worst of the problems in January and Feburary and part o December.

jj68 · 02-21-2009, 02:18 PM

Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I remember it was 10 degrees when I visited in early January and people were telling me that was an unusually warm day. In fact, the people I was visiting with that day said they thought it was 30 degrees out, but then we looked at the thermometer and it was 10 degrees. They did say they thought it was a very dry day and one person said her eyes hurt too (these folks were from the area). So I am hoping that I did get the worst of the worst as you said and that it was not the typical day. But, my original thought was that since it can get so much colder there than 10 degrees, that maybe I'm just not cut out for the winter climate. I'll be visiting again soon so I will have to see how I fare on the next trip.

Kratka Ridge · 02-22-2009, 01:26 AM

Funny, but when I lived in Minnesota (born there, lived there for over three decades) I thought it was too humid! But it's all relative; I just hate moisture in the air, and I don't like humid summers. I know it is very dry in Minnesota in the winter.

In January of 1989 I shipped out to the now-closed Ft. McClellan in northern Alabama. It seemed to me to be the coldest winter I ever spent. Now, the air temperature wasn't so cold (I don't think it ever got colder than about 15F) but it was a wet cold and I just could not get warm until spring finally arrived.

In the winter I appreciated the dryness (if not the temperature) of the air in Minnesota.

golfgal · 02-22-2009, 05:31 AM

It isn't dry all winter long. We have many humid days in the winter too. Right now it is 98% humidity. Yes, it can be dry in the winter but come June you will wish for some of that dry air.

Blazer · 02-23-2009, 03:26 PM

I like to think of that bitter cold, dry air as Germ Free air and take in big lungfuls to clean out any germs the might be lurking. It feels so good.

jasper1372 · 02-23-2009, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazer

I like to think of that bitter cold, dry air as Germ Free air and take in big lungfuls to clean out any germs the might be lurking. It feels so good.

And now we find out the cold and flu viruses love dry air to spread. I just read that the other day online. They have now found out that the dryer the air the more cold and flu viruses like it. They survive longer, multiply faster and attach more easily to your body (and thereby infect you) when the air is dry.

Geez...we just can't get break. My dad always used to tell me the one advantage of cold/dry winter air was that it killed all the germs and viruses....guess not unfortunately.

whatnow · 02-24-2009, 03:48 PM

Two weeks.

skipast75 · 03-03-2009, 08:49 PM

Dry air huh? I live in MT. and trust me, MN is NOT dry. Unless you think sweating when its sixty degrees out dry. After 10 years, I still get a bloody nose here in MT, almost weekly in the summer time. Unless you live in Key West, you will be just fine.

asitshouldbe · 03-05-2009, 05:19 PM

I have never had those problems and I've lived here all my life. It sounds more like cold symptoms. When I am getting a cold my eyes get drier and I feel like I can never quench my thirst. Sometimes my eyes become very sensitive to the air and my sinus's are so dry its painful to breath, but I've only had a few colds like that.
.