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I've lived in a high-humidity state for the last 3 yrs. Each person seems to react a bit differently but my experience is all bad...go to the groc store, come back...clothes soaking wet. Sweat pouring off every extremity when you're outside. Makes you feel very tired and cranky.
Had enough and moving out of this state asap.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pekemom
In my experience, visiting relatives in both types of heat, dry heat is bad but
humid heat is like being slowly cooked.....
Actually a tougher question than it seems. For a heat index to be as hot without humidity as it is with humidity, it has to be an extremely high temperature
125 degrees versus 92 degrees
In that case the heat index with humidity means cooler actual temperature and this may be safer, all else the same
It is safer because humidity real feel is due to inability of sweat to cool you down. Wind increases this evaporation and cools you when the heat index is humidity-driven
If the heat index is like a sauna the wind will not cool you but water to the skin will ...the water sprays
But it's easier to make wind than water
Also the humid heat index will be result in feeling cooled down quicker once you enter an A/C building since the sweat is waiting on your skin to work to cool you. In the dry heat scenario, that sweat is already removed and your only recourse is get water quickly
This is a very different question from asking if the temperature were 100 with humidity versus not. I would say without humidity because of the lower heat index associated with it. But once you set the heat indexes the same, I'm not fooled this is a different question now.
In Texas, unlike many states, we get both humid and dry heat (think about El Paso vs. Houston, and then Dallas which is somewhere in the middle).
The only time humidity is tough is when you're dressed in nicer clothing and don't want to sweat like a pig. If I'm wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts, dry heat is a bit worse. Dry heat sneaks upon you in a way that is very deceptive. It slowly drains you and can be very dangerous if you're not careful.
Given the same heat index would you prefer dry heat or humid heat?
For example a 32c(90f) with a d.p. of 25c(77f) or 42c(108f) with a d.p. of 5c(41f)? Both yield a heat index of 39c(102f).
Personally I can't answer it since I've never experienced the latter scenario although the former scenario happens nearly daily regardless of month. I really want to experience dry heat once or twice just to know how it feels.
The heat index is a scale for how relative the heat feels for a given temp and humidity. So they should feel the same.
Probably more based on what you are accustomed to growing up as to which you would prefer.
For me, growing up with both, I prefer the hot/dry combo because I hate walking around in sweaty clothes and its easier to get out of the heat by stepping into a shade and when it turns night it gets much cooler.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lvoc
You sweat very well in dry weather. You are just unaware of it as no moisture forms on the skin. You sweat more in dry than in wet.
That is why hot climates require hydration.
Actually you sweat more in humid weather than dry weather because the sweat is less effective in cooling you therefore you will sweat more to get the same amount of cooling.
The heat index is a scale for how relative the heat feels for a given temp and humidity. So they should feel the same.
Probably more based on what you are accustomed to growing up as to which you would prefer.
For me, growing up with both, I prefer the hot/dry combo because I hate walking around in sweaty clothes and its easier to get out of the heat by stepping into a shade and when it turns night it gets much cooler.
Actually you sweat more in humid weather than dry weather because the sweat is less effective in cooling you therefore you will sweat more to get the same amount of cooling.
But they don't feel the same. 35 and humid you're drenched in sweat continually, at 42 and dry sweat evaporates instantly. You can sit in front of a fan with a spray bottle of water and be cold.
I was in the Phoenix area back in 2005 when it was 115-117F. Dry heat or not, it was next to impossible to sit outside for more than a few minutes at a time without going back into the house.
At the same time I went through the 1995 Chicago heatwave when air temps reached 106F, but heat indecies hit 125F. That was my last summer working in the HVAC field....
Speaking of dew points I found these charts to be interesting on DC's dew point averages
In Philadelphia, our summers are always 80-90 with 80-100% humidity. I traveled to California and drove from LA inland toward the desert. It was amazing. LA was around 70 and cold for what I consider "summer". Once we drove an hour or two inland it was 112 degrees but no humidity. The air felt amazing, and it wasn't suffocating.
I would take dry heat over humidity any day. There are days in the summer here where even in the morning when you walk outside the humidity is so overbearing its hard to breathe. The air is thick and heavy and overall unbearable.
Again, if the heat index is the same in both scenarios, then the question being asked is not the one you think it is.
You think they are asking if you would rather carry lots of feathers or lots of heavy bowling balls
That's not what this question is. This question is rather, "would you rather have to carry 100 pounds worth of bowling balls, or 100 pounds worth of feathers."
I MUCH prefer less humidity. But if we are comparing 2 scenarios with identical heat index, I would have no choice but to say the heat index being driven by humidity with the real temperature that much lower, is going to be the safer scenario. This is because though your sweat produced will be the same, the reserve of ineffective sweat will be there to work for you when you get inside.
The other option is the same sweat is released but it won't be reserved for later...it will all be evaporated.
Now let me make this clear. The reason you prefer dry heat is for the reason that most often, the "heat index" in Phoenix (though not the temperature) ...is LOWER than New Orleans. Understandable!
Here...we are looking at when the heat indexes are equal ...meaning the temperature under dry conditions that is SO warm it equates the pain and suffering of the humid scenario.
See the difference?
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