Climate can outline a area and its id. For instance, Pacific Northwest cities like Seattle, WA are recognized for his or her clouds and rain, whereas desert cities corresponding to Phoenix, AZ are dry and clear for many of the 12 months.
Nevertheless, an often-overlooked side of climate is humidity. Humidity performs an essential function in influencing how scorching the temperature truly feels (the warmth index); excessive warmth plus excessive humidity will be very harmful. Individuals dwelling within the southeastern U.S. understand how a lot humidity can have an effect on day by day life.
When deciding the place to stay, understanding how your physique adapts to humidity is vital. Many individuals choose the sensation of dry warmth, whereas others don’t thoughts the heavier air that comes with excessive humidity. So, for those who’re planning to maneuver someplace new, learn on to find essentially the most humid cities within the U.S. and see in the event that they’re best for you.
How we outline humidity
Earlier than we dive into essentially the most humid cities, let’s outline what humidity is. There are typically 3 ways to measure humidity: relative humidity, absolute humidity, and dew level.
Relative humidity: Typically shortened to only “humidity,” that is the proportion of moisture within the air in comparison with how a lot it may maintain at a given temperature.
Absolute humidity: The overall quantity of water vapor within the air, no matter temperature.
Dew level: The temperature at which air turns into totally saturated, resulting in condensation.
This checklist focuses on the primary class, relative humidity. Relative humidity is the most typical approach folks assume and discuss humidity and the way “muggy” the air feels. Relative humidity is greater when the air temperature is decrease and decrease when air temperature is greater. As such, we’ll additionally point out common annual temperature.
We’ll additionally point out dew factors when potential; they measure the precise moisture within the air, in contrast to relative humidity, which reveals how saturated the air is at a given temperature. As an illustration, a 35°F day with a 35°F dew level produces 100% relative humidity, however the air received’t really feel very humid as a result of low water content material. In distinction, a 90°F day with a 70°F dew level leads to solely 52% relative humidity however feels a lot stickier. Greater dew factors at all times really feel extra humid.
Maintain studying to see our rating of essentially the most humid cities with over 20,000 residents primarily based on their common annual relative humidity. Afterwards, we’ll briefly checklist the least humid cities.
What are essentially the most humid cities within the U.S.?
1. Juneau, Alaska
Common annual humidity: 79%
Common annual temperature: 42.1°F
Essentially the most humid metropolis within the U.S. is Juneau, AK. Juneau can also be one of many coldest cities within the nation and sees ~90” of snowfall per 12 months.
Juneau is so humid due to its coastal location and chilly local weather. Colder air can maintain much less water, in spite of everything. Temperatures hardly ever surpass 65°F, and precipitation from the lively Northern Pacific is frequent year-round – greater than 250 days throughout a moist 12 months. Fortunately, since temperatures are cool, dew factors are additionally low, so it hardly ever feels very humid.
In case you’re considering of shifting to the realm, you’ll love the glacier-filled landscapes, small-town really feel, indigenous tradition, and wealthy historical past. Plus, energetic residents will greater than make up for the gloomy climate.
Juneau houses on the market | Juneau homes for lease | Juneau residences for lease
2. San Francisco, California
Common annual humidity: 78%
Common annual temperature: 58.7°F
San Francisco is the second-most humid metropolis in the US. Identified for its cool, foggy summers, SF is actually a maritime city influenced by the ocean. Rainfall is much less frequent than you may anticipate, however a constant onshore circulate means the air is usually very damp.
Sometimes, drier offshore wind (from the mainland) blows in and creates scorching, brittle, sunny circumstances. This climate sample is conducive to wildfires and is turning into extra frequent all through the Bay Space. Nevertheless, that is uncommon sufficient that it hardly brings down the area’s excessive common humidity.
SF is understood for its tech business and tradition, historic landmarks, huge parks, and delightful vistas, making it a one-of-a-kind place to name dwelling. There are actually an infinite quantity of issues to do. The town is among the many most costly within the nation, although.
San Francisco houses on the market | San Francisco homes for lease | San Francisco residences for lease
3. Port Arthur, Texas
Common annual humidity: 76.5%
Common annual temperature: 69.9°F
Simply an hour and a half east of Houston, Port Arthur is a small Texas metropolis recognized for its oil business, cajun cooking, and out of doors recreation. The town sits on Sabine Lake simply throughout from the Louisiana border.
The mix of warmth and humidity turns into an issue within the south. Port Arthur will get its moisture from the nice and cozy waters of the close by Gulf of Mexico, which may create extraordinarily muggy climate. It is because hotter air can maintain extra water, translating to greater dew factors and creating a really humid-feeling local weather. Winters are typically delicate and nice, however summers are scorching and suffocating.
Dry air generally flows in, which might help with humidity however typically results in hotter temperatures. Extreme climate can also be quite common within the area, with hurricanes, thunderstorms, and flooding all potential
Port Arthur houses on the market | Port Arthur homes for lease | Port Arthur residences for lease
4. Lake Charles, Louisiana
Common annual humidity: 76%
Common annual temperature: 69.7°F
Lake Charles is the fourth-most humid metropolis within the nation. As one other southern metropolis on the Gulf Coast, stormy climate, heavy rain, and flooding are once more frequent. Lake Charles is barely an hour from Port Arthur, so that they have very comparable climates.
Lake Charles is understood for its casinos, oil refineries, and seashores. Plus, the realm’s price of dwelling may be very low, so for those who can deal with scorching, humid climate for six months of the 12 months, you possibly can take into account shifting.
Lake Charles houses on the market | Lake Charles homes for lease | Lake Charles residences for lease
5. Galveston, Texas
Common annual humidity: 76%
Common annual temperature: 72.3°F
Galveston, an oil-rich metropolis on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, is available in at quantity 5 on our checklist. Galveston sits alongside the low-lying barrier islands an hour from Houston. 32 miles of shoreline, the well-known Moody Gardens, iconic Galveston Pier, and nostalgic Historic District are a number of highlights.
Galveston’s humidity comes from the Gulf of Mexico, which additionally offers loads of moisture for periodic, heavy rainfall and scorching, damp summers. Not too long ago, Galveston noticed its hottest August on report, capping off a two-month lengthy warmth wave and months of extended drought. The warmth index usually surpasses 100°F, generally remaining there for over a day as a result of humid air.
Galveston houses on the market | Galveston homes for lease | Galveston residences for lease
6. Olympia, Washington
Common annual humidity: 76%
Common annual temperature: 50.5°F
The capital of Washington State and residential to the Evergreen State Faculty Geoducks, Olympia is the sixth-most humid metropolis within the nation. Olympia is understood for its slower tempo of life, out of doors recreation, breweries, and lots of annual occasions.
Much like Juneau, Olympia is so humid due to its coastal location and delicate local weather. It’s typically wet and gloomy for over half the 12 months, though snow is uncommon. Summers are delicate and sunny. The town solely will get scorching a number of instances a 12 months, however when it does, it may really feel oppressive. Warmth waves have turn out to be extra frequent in recent times.
Olympia houses on the market | Olympia homes for lease | Olympia residences for lease
7. Brownsville, Texas
Common annual humidity: 75%
Common annual temperature: 76.2°F
Situated on the nice and cozy Gulf Coast only some hundred miles from the Chihuahuan Desert, Brownsville experiences each scorching desert warmth and heat coastal humidity. These components assist the town see extraordinarily scorching summers and usually heat temperatures year-round. The Rio Grande Valley as an entire may be very scorching.
Like most of Texas, 2023 was exceptionally scorching. 2024 introduced warmth waves that pushed the warmth index close to 130°F, with excessive humidity holding in a single day warmth indices above 75°F, which is uncomfortable.
Brownsville is dwelling to attractive seashores, wildlife viewing areas, and walkable state parks. The price of dwelling is reasonably priced, too.
Brownsville houses on the market | Brownsville homes for lease | Brownsville residences for lease
8. Corpus Christi, Texas
Common annual humidity: 75%
Common annual temperature: 73.0°F
Corpus Christi is one other scorching Texas metropolis nestled alongside the Gulf of Mexico. Like different cities alongside the Gulf, warmth and humidity can mix to create dangerously heat circumstances. In the course of the months-long 2023 warmth wave, Corpus Christi logged a warmth index of 125°F – a report excessive. The variety of 100-degree days in Texas is projected to double by 2036 in comparison with what it was between 2001 and 2020.
Corpus Christi is a small, oil-rich metropolis however has lots going for it. Residents love taking journeys to the close by Padre or Mustang Islands and feeling the nice and cozy, salty breeze. Outside fans get pleasure from kayaking within the Laguna Madre and fishing for contemporary seafood, or spending an evening out at one of many many eating places on the town.
Corpus Christi houses on the market | Corpus Christi homes for lease | Corpus Christi residences for lease
9. New Orleans, Louisiana
Common annual humidity: 75%
Common annual temperature: 70.5°F
The jewel of the Mississippi Delta, New Orleans is constructed alongside the crescent-shaped banks of the Mississippi River. Simply north of the Gulf of Mexico, temperatures are barely cooler than South Texas cities, however very excessive humidity can nonetheless make circumstances dangerously scorching. Temperatures hardly ever surpass 100°F, however after they do, the warmth index can soar previous 110°F.
New Orleans has rather a lot going for it. It’s recognized for its energetic French Quarter, charming Backyard District, and miles of scenic bayous. It additionally boasts world-class music, Creole delicacies, and well-known festivals like Mardi Gras that draw tens of millions to the town yearly.
New Orleans houses on the market | New Orleans homes for lease | New Orleans residences for lease
10. Victoria, Texas
Common annual humidity: 74.5%
Common annual temperature: 71.0°F
Victoria is located within the Golden Crescent of Texas between Corpus Christi and Galveston, about an hour from the Gulf of Mexico. Searching, fishing, and exploring the outside are among the hottest issues to do. You’ll discover loads of farms, historic buildings, and humanities alternatives, too. The area can also be well-known for its oil, however manufacturing has steeply dropped over the previous 30 years.
Victoria’s humidity and warmth come from the close by Gulf, however warmth waves can push temperatures a bit greater than cities on the water resulting from its extra inland location.
Victoria houses on the market | Victoria homes for lease | Victoria residences for lease
The ten least humid cities within the U.S.
Many individuals get pleasure from drier climate, particularly in the summertime. If that is you, right here’s an inventory of the least humid U.S. cities primarily based on common annual relative humidity:
Las Vegas, NV: 28%
Phoenix, AZ: 29.5%
Tucson, AZ: 34.5%
El Paso, TX: 35.5%
Albuquerque, NM: 41%
Roswell, NM: 45%
Grand Junction, CO: 46%
Denver, CO: 46.5%
Reno, NV: 47%
Colorado Springs, CO: 49%
What’s the most humid place within the nation?
The outright most humid place within the U.S. is St. Paul, Alaska. St. Paul has a mean annual humidity of 86% – topping out at 93% in July. Most mornings have readings nicely above 80%. St. Paul is the first settlement of Saint Paul Island, which is likely one of the Pribilof Islands off the west coast of Alaska. Chilly Bay, situated among the many Aleutian Islands to the south, is the second most-humid at 83.5%. Nevertheless, they’re a lot too small to make our checklist.
St. Paul is so humid as a result of it lies in the course of the ocean, is much from the mainland, and is chilly year-round. Colder air holds much less moisture, so even a small quantity of water vapor can saturate the air and push up relative humidity. Low temperatures additionally imply low dew factors, although, so fortunately the city typically doesn’t really feel very humid.
How is humidity altering?
The world has been heating up quickly. Ending this previous July, there have been 14 straight months of record-breaking temperatures, and 2024 is on monitor to be the most well liked on report. This heat has had devastating penalties over the previous 12 months and a half within the type of warmth waves, flooding, drought, and extra.
Humidity can also be anticipated to rise as local weather change continues as a result of hotter air can maintain extra water. Hotter, extra humid air results in extraordinarily excessive warmth indices, which may turn out to be lethal to people. Warmth index extremes are growing a number of instances quicker than air temperatures, too.
The very best warmth index within the U.S. reportedly occurred in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1995, when it reached 148°F. Notoriously scorching cities like Phoenix are too dry to generate excessive warmth indices. The very best warmth indices on the planet have occurred close to the Persian Gulf, together with in Iran (180°F) and Saudi Arabia (178°F).
As world warming accelerates, analysis signifies that rising humidity, paired with greater temperatures, will make many places more and more uncomfortable and even uninhabitable by 2100. Almost 30% of the world’s inhabitants is uncovered to lethal warmth as we speak. With out intervention, that share will rise to just about 50%. Cities nearer to the equator are dwelling to the very best variety of folks prone to lethal warmth.
Methodology
This checklist accommodates annual relative humidity knowledge for cities with over 20,000 residents. A metropolis’s annual common was calculated by averaging the annual morning and afternoon humidity averages right into a single quantity. Comparative Climatic Knowledge was obtained from a 2023 evaluation by the Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Info (NCEI) and its dad or mum administration, the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
