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Do you think cold temperatures feel colder when the humidity is higher? We all know that hot weather is made to feel even hotter by high humidity, but could the opposite phenomenon occur at cold temps?
Having experienced both types of cold (albeit in a fairly limited range) I really think that dry cold doesn't feel as uncomfortable as the same temperature with high humidity.
A partial explanation for this could be that moisture in the air tend to reduce the effectiveness of insulation such as clothing and bedding. Or it may just be that the discomfort of cold weather added to the discomfort of damp conditions makes it feel worse than it is?
dry cold does feel better than damp cold; especially when there's CONDENSATION!
If you're comparing 30% humidity to 60% humidity the differences are more subtle imho.
Personal experience:
-20 C (-5 F) 35% RH and calm wind felt like
-4 C (24 F) normally does in Toronto, with regular wind (15+ km/h) and humidity (60+%) for the first 10-15 minutes outside...
and then the difference in cold hit me like a tonne of bricks.
Cold in calm weather seems to "sneak up on you" more than breezy cold.
I remember it being 15 - 20 F in Colorado and it felt surprisingly comfortable since the air was so dry. Here in New Jersey, it would feel frigid since the humidity is usually higher. Of course there comes a point where cold is cold and it doesn't matter if the air is dry or damp.
I'd like to see some actual studies on this. I thought about the impact of humidity before and what I came away with was that relative humidity is deceptive since it is a relative (duh) measure based on the temperature. It is easier to understand it by looking at absolute humidity.
When the temperature is 0C, and RH is 100%, the total moisture in the air is IIRC 5 grams per cubic meter.
This is compared to near 30 grams per cubic meter when the the temperature is 30C.
The amount of moisture that cold air can hold is very little.
There is also a thin layer of warm air near your skin (or under your clothes). As outside air warms when it gets near your skin, its relative humidity will plummet. If anything, your perspiration will play a much bigger role.
So I call BS on this until I see a study showing otherwise.
My conclusion: below 5C RH plays no role. And above 12-13C it makes things feel warmer (very slightly at first but with increasing effect as temps go higher).
In the USA, this is always the contention (and rightly so it seems) of folks who live in far northern places like Minnesota, North Dakota, Maine…etc: It might be 20 F, but the cold/sunny/calm weather is much more comfortable than a blustery 40 F day in an oceanic climate like Seattle or London that is damp/humid/rainy/gray. Having experienced both, I would say that sunny dry cold is far better within tolerable limits.
A calm and cloudy 50F day is far more comfortable than a windy 30F day, even if it is sunny.
It depends on what the relative humidity is and how strong the wind is. In continental climates, with relative humidity under 30% and a light wind, 30s under sunny skies actually doesn't feel that bad compared to what 30s can feel like here.
Assuming no condensation (it makes you WET!)
I find windspeed makes a bigger difference than humidity does. (night-and-day, imho)
Some days I have been amazed at how mild it feels in winter,
looked at the humidity and it was 82%,
but the windspeed was almost a dead calm,
instead of our normal 15+ km/h which equates to nearly-constant "mixing" feeling.
Low humidity helps a lot though, assuming the windspeed isn't crazy.
Once you pass 80% RH there is great potential for objects cooler than ambient @ 5-6 feet evelation to get condensation.
(or any object near the dewpoint temperature )
Assuming no condensation (it makes you WET!)
I find windspeed makes a bigger difference than humidity does. (night-and-day, imho)
Some days I have been amazed at how mild it feels in winter,
looked at the humidity and it was 82%,
but the windspeed was almost a dead calm,
instead of our normal 15+ km/h which equates to nearly-constant "mixing" feeling.
Low humidity helps a lot though, assuming the windspeed isn't crazy.
Once you pass 80% RH there is great potential for objects cooler than ambient @ 5-6 feet evelation to get condensation.
(or any object near the dewpoint temperature )
Unless you are a zombie and just came out of a morgue freezer, I wouldn't worry about condensation.
And yes, wind by far makes the biggest difference.
Dry & Sunny Cold trumps Humid & Cloudy Cold. I'd never willingly choose either but if I had to pick my poison it'd be dry & cold.
I remember one day going to the mall, got out the car and it was 36 degrees, no wind at all and the sun was beaming down. I had my coat unzipped and no hat on...me of all people lol. I'm very cold sensitive. That day actually felt better than a windy 50 degree day with a light jacket although it was uglier outside (dead trees, melting snow/ice, salt, etc.).
The downside is dry hands and other dryness related annoyances.
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