Northerners how is the Raleigh NC Humidity? (living in, pool)

[amsm196]

Hello everybody!

I wanted the opinion of some northerners on the Humidity in Raleigh NC. As we all know it does get pretty humid up north also, but i was wondering if the humdity feels much worse in Raleigh comapred to lets say Long Island NY, NJ, PA or anywhere up north.

The Long Island humidity never did bother me,even during the hot summer days.

And now living in Las Vegas i'm used to living in 110-115 degree weather during the summer.

[miamiblue]

I did spend my whole life (until now) in FL, so I feel pretty confident that I am intimately familiar with humidity. I've also been in NYC and Stamford, CT during the summer for comparison as well.

Raleigh is humid, but really, it's not that bad. When I arrived here in the summer last year, all I heard from the locals was "the humidity is awful!" and "it's so humid out, yuck!". All the while, I was quietly thinking, "What humidity?" I'm used to living in a 24/7 sauna, otherwise known as a "tropical" climate in South Florida. I'm used to stepping outside and feeling as if the heat is liquid and it weighs down on your skin, and that you need to breathe through a straw. It feels as if you could cut the air with a knife. Last summer while I was living here in NC, I never experienced the feeling of walking out of a cool building and hitting that wall of hot humidity that I was used to.

Here it seems that you do get some relief in the evenings when the temperatures come down a little. I have heard that Vegas is very dry, so the heat here will feel completely different, and probably more oppressive, to you because of the humidity, especially if you have become accustomed to the dryness. I would say that the humidity here is no worse than when I was in NYC or CT, if that comparison is something you can relate to. You may notice it a lot at first, but I think you wouldn't have a problem adapting, especially if you were able to handle Northeast summers.

[MikeJaquish]

Being from PA, I don't know about Long Island.

I'm here almost ten years, and I can tell you that the year round humidity is greater than I knew there.
Summer humidity on a good day in Wake County is probably equal to a high humidity day in PA.
Without Central Air, we wouldn't all be here.

None of that is a complaint.
Having tried both, I would rather sweat like a pig than freeze and shovel snow.
Rather than spend 5 or 6 solid months when I restrict outside activity due to cold, I have a couple of months in the winter, and a couple in the summer. Better lifestyle, IMO.
And I'm a winter lightweight. If cool weather doesn't bother you, you will love the winters here.

[tee-tee]

Former NEOhioan here, and the humidity here in the Triangle during the summer IMHO is oppressive. Not unbearable by any means, esp with central air, and even more bearable compared to months of gray, cold days but it is just plain uncomfortable.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by amsm196

Hello everybody!

I wanted the opinion of some northerners on the Humidity in Raleigh NC. As we all know it does get pretty humid up north also, but i was wondering if the humdity feels much worse in Raleigh comapred to lets say Long Island NY, NJ, PA or anywhere up north.

The Long Island humidity never did bother me,even during the hot summer days.

And now living in Las Vegas i'm used to living in 110-115 degree weather during the summer.

I've been trying to sort myself out about this since we've moved down here. Techinally, where we came from in Northern Ohio had higher humidity then down here....but there is a certain quality to the heat/humitidy combo that will sometimes literally take your breath away when you step outside.

However, it's bearable with A/C and you just pace yourself in the summer. The weather the rest of the year more then makes up for it!!

[MariGirl]

It feels significantly more humid here than where I grew up in the Midwest near Lake Michigan. It's a different type of heat, and even after 20 years in NC, it can still wipe me out some days. I guess the biggest difference is that there is no real cooling down at night, to the extent that you might need a light jacket or sweater and can open windows like you can up north.
Obviously the humidity (which will last from about mid-April thru late September) hasn't stopped us from living here all these years. But you will run your air conditioner non-stop for 5-6 months and there will be days that you and the kids won't go outside because it's just too miserable, unless you're hanging in a pool all day. The trade-off is a lovely Spring and days like today, 80 degrees but not too humid yet and everything in bloom.

[lynnsprufera]

I am from LI NY and moved a year ago. My observations have been that NC has many more days of hot weather but no hotter than hot days on LI, just more of them. I do feel that there are less mosquitos and less rain in the summer. This would indicate a lower humidity level. There is also less dew on the lawn in the spring and summer. All in all the weather is so much nicer than the Northeast.

[amsm196]

Thank you to all for the respones. But you wrote "less mosquitos and less rain in the summer". Did you mean the other way around? I was told that it rains very often in Raleigh during the summer, plus i heard there are plenty of mosquitos.

Being that i'm currently in Vegas dealing with the 115 degree summer days i'm sure i'll be able to deal with the Raleigh summers.

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by lynnsprufera

I am from LI NY and moved a year ago. My observations have been that NC has many more days of hot weather but no hotter than hot days on LI, just more of them. I do feel that there are less mosquitos and less rain in the summer. This would indicate a lower humidity level. There is also less dew on the lawn in the spring and summer. All in all the weather is so much nicer than the Northeast.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by amsm196

Thank you to all for the respones. But you wrote "less mosquitos and less rain in the summer". Did you mean the other way around? I was told that it rains very often in Raleigh during the summer, plus i heard there are plenty of mosquitos.

I guess it matters what you are comparing it to. As far as I've seen in three years....there are WAY less in the way of bugs compared to Ohio as well as rain days.

I guess coming from LV there would be more....but it really isn't a lot.

[NC man]

Come on folks its the south ,its Humid in the summer because its south of North, which equals a higher temperature with water vapor makes it humid,, dont really get this kinda qeustion from people. common sense thing. Is it cold in East lansing Mich in winter time?