Does humidity make it hotter?

Question

My brother won't admit he is wrong. He thinks the humidity makes it cooler and I think it is the oppostie. Yes or no.

I am not trying to be mean but yes or no answers only.

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

The answer is yes, no, and maybe.

In terms of your perception, yes. Because humid air has a higher "specific heat" property than dry air, the air seems hotter when its hot. Or colder when its cold. That's why Boston is more miserable in winter than Minneapolis, for instance, because their air contains more water. And a higher specific heat causes greater heat flow either into, or out of, the air from your skin.

The effect is the same as wind chill. But, like wind chill, it does not actually change the temperature, only the ability of the air to evaporate water from your skin. Your car, for instance, does not have more trouble starting due to wind chill.

But when water evaporates it absorbes heat energy and as such cools the surroundings, so getting that humidity into the air resulted in cooling somewhere. That's why the ancient Egyptions and modern Arizonans like fountains and pools so much, all that evaporation results in cooler local temps.

But humid air is less dense than dry air and so contains less oxygen per liter so it becomes harder to breathe and generally more uncomfortable than dry air. Its also harder for airplanes to take of when its humid.
And since humid air is more saturated than dry air, your sweat-water does not evaporate as quickly so your body cannot cool itself through sweating and so you feel hotter and more uncomfortable.

Sorry for the digression from "yes or no" but this is the actual situation and you have to apply the right answer to the question in such a way as to answer a question that is formulated so as to proscribe the corrct answer.
Perhaps you and your brother are just speaking different "languages".

Answer 2

Higher Humidity Means Warmer

Answer 3

based whether that's Farenheit or Celcius first. whether that's 23F, then hell yeah, that is chilly, and whether that's 23C, then it may equivalent to seventy 3.4F, and the seventy 8% humidity won't make a distinction on the feel of the temperature, that's the dewpoint you ought to think of of...if the dewpoint is everywhere above 60 to sixty 5, then you definately will start to experience if while the temperature receives above 70, besides the undeniable fact that that is going to experience no warmer than 80, so a delightful and ordinary day.

Answer 4

Yes;the specific heat of moist air is more than that of the dry air.This means, more heat is required to raise the temperature of moist air than that of the dry air by one degree.For example ,the heat that has to be added to raise the temperature of moist air from, say 30 to 31 degrees celcius will be more than the heat required by the dry air to increse the temperature by the same one degree.This means ,the moist air at 31 degrees may contain more heat than that of the dry air at the same 31 degree temperature.Moreover, water vapour is a powerful absorber of heat radiation emitted by the earth's surface and hence it absorbs this heat from the surface and passes it on to the air above it making it more hotter.
Further ,warm air can contain more moisture than cold air.So if the warm air contains maximum amount of moisture,the moisture in turn can absorb more heat and make the air more hotter.

Answer 5

Hotter. I can tolerate mush hotter temps in the desert because of low humidity.

Answer 6

It's perception.

Humidity doesn't MAKE it hotter, but you feel it is, because your bodies system of cooling is not as efficient when there is more moisture in the air due slower evaporation rates.

Answer 7

Temperature is temperature.

The body cools itself by evaporation, and humidity inhibits evaporation, making it FEEL hotter.

Answer 8

So the best advice is not to excercise outdoors on a humid day!

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

it doesnt make it hotter,,,,it just makes it feel hotter,,,than a dry heat....