Phoenix 100 vs Insert Humid City 85 (hotel, house, living in)

[BSL63087]

I keep hearing that anything under 110 is maybe not comfortable but bearable in Phoenix because of the dry air. I currently live just outside of Louisville, KY where I'd say it's pretty humid here and I think anything under 90 isn't that bad no matter the humidity. Once it starts getting up over 90 then it's pretty much unbearable once you are outside for awhile. I'm a believer that once it's hot it's hot but I always hear it's not as bad eventhough it is in the 100s because there isn't any humidity.

My question is, which is worse, 100 degrees in Phoenix or 85 degrees in a pretty humid place?

[m1ndless]

Depends on how humid. Living in humidity is miserable. I work at a hotel, and poeple always tell me that they would rather live here.

Arizona 120 - 5% Humidity - Bearable
Michigan - 90 - 90% Humidity - MISERABLE

I was just in MI las week, I hated the weather.

[foma]

A couple of weeks ago I was in Houston. The second I stepped out of the airport I said to myself, "I'll take Phoenix 100+ degrees high heat no humidity over this any day!" Mind you I have lived in Houston all my life and have only lived in Phoenix for 6 months.

Don't get me wrong, 100+ degree weather, even with no humidity is AWFUL and just barely bearable but I'd still take the dry heat any day. I just about keeled over in Houston with 85 degrees 100 per cent humidity. I think it's just the individual. Some people don't mind the humidity.

[vegaspilgrim]

This is probably the most overblown topic on the Phoenix/Arizona forums, and I am continually surprised by how delusional supposed residents here are. "Arizona 120 - 5% Humidity - Bearable"? Absolutely no way, shape, or form is that true. First of all, there are several different kinds of heat, even within "dry heat":
heat in the sun (high temperatures + high uv rays)
heat in the shade (high temperatures + partially absorbed & reflected sun rays)
heat at night (high temperatures, slowly radiating from the ground and buildings)
variations of all the above, but with clouds (rare, but does happen, especially during July & August).
is there a breeze or is the air stagnant? (usually the air is almost dead stagnant here)
Are you constantly drinking water while you're outside? (if you are not constantly chugging down water, the dehydration will kick in FAST)

With each variation of heat, there is a question of how long is "x" type of heat with "y" temperature bearable? For me, 90 degrees or below in the shade or at night with no humidity is comfortable-- especially with a breeze. In the sun? About 15 minutes, then it gets annoying. 105-112 degrees? In the shade, I can take about a one hour dose at a time before my head hurts and my eyeballs start feeling sore. In the sun? About 5 minutes before I'm starting to feel like toast. 112-124 degrees: Maybe 15 mintues in the shade, or 30 seconds in the sun until I feel like I'm dying. Plus, the hotter the temperature gets, the faster I get dehyrated, almost exponentially faster. Plus, factor in how easy it is to get sunburn here, get skin cancer, and die! I've seen people here in their 40s who obviously had been in the sun a little too much when they were younger and they look twice their age! I'm sure places up north can get hot too, but does that 90 degree Michigan heat in the summer stay 90 degrees all day and night long, day after day after day after day after day after day will no break in sight for 5 months at a time? The Arizona heat is nothing to trivialize or play down. No matter how you slice it or dice it, heat sucks, and it isn't good for you.

[wit-nit]

Basic answer, the higher the humidity the more uncomfortable you'll be no matter the temp.
I was in FL one time when it was 90 degrees temp and 95% humidity and it was most unbearable. You could hardly breathe and you needed to shower 4-5 times a day just to cool down to feel somewhat comfortable.

[HX_Guy]

I think it's something you have to feel for yourself, it's hard to describe and it is different for everyone it seems. I can't stand the heat or humidity, but I guess if I had to chose between the two, I'd go for heat with less humidity. I was in Fl in Sept. a couple years ago and literally standing outside for 5 minutes at 10 pm and I had sweat dripping down my back, down my arms, my shirt was soaked. It was horrible. It really seemed like you couldn't escape it.

I think that is the biggest difference here. While it's hot as hell, if you are just going from the car into a store or into the house, you're not outside long enough to really get affected by it...whereas in humid climates you would be sweating like crazy.

I personally like cold over heat, but others, like my mom say they actually like the heat here. She says she loves going outside and feeling the heat, that she can feel it get down into her bones and it feels good.

[yukon]

When I'm in Phoenix, it's like standing in front of a hot blowdryer.

When I'm in Tampa, it's like standing in a steam sauna room having a hot, wet, heavy towel thrown on me and no way to dry off.

Give me the blow dryer heat any day.

[sablebaby]

Heat without humidity is better for me, but I have to agree with some above about our weather is barely bearable. It is freaking hot outside! You know how when it snows and the weather is bad people stay inside? Well, it's the same way here (or really should be!) during our summers. We have severe weather and it's the heat, however, since it doesn't hinder our day (like driving in or shoveling snow) people don't see it as such.

[HX_Guy]

Haha, yukon that is actually a great comparrison. I often say that Phoenix feels like a hot oven when you open it and all the hot air comes out, but a blow drier sounds even better...especially when you come out of a cool house or store directly into the heat...it does feel exactly as if a blow drier is pointed at you.

[sheena]

I'll take the humidity of Myrtle Beach with the cool ocean breeze over the cactusy dry desert. That's what I did this weekend and it was heaven on earth....LOL