Not Everyone Prefers The Dry Heat of Southern Utah

We hear about Southern Utah having a dry heat and that usually that means it is better than having humidity, however, I have talked to people who are from the east who do not enjoy the dry heat. One woman from Ohio said she has had a rash for months because her skin gets so dry. Another guy said he doesn’t like it because he can’t feel the air when he breaths. Yuck, that seems awful. 

So, what is the difference between dry and humid heat? Dry heat is found in desert climates where the temperature gets above 90 and the humidity is below 30%. On the other hand, humidity is where it gets hot, and the humidity is above the 30% mark. This is usually on the east coast where humidity comes in from the gulf. 

My son and his wife are visiting from South Carolina where it is about 89 degrees today. He says it feels the same with the humidity as 105 degrees feels here. Generally, that seems to be how it works, heat with high humidity feels about the same as 15 degrees hotter in a dry climate. 

Is dry heat better? If you consider heat related stress it is.

The body begins to sweat in the heat, and that moisture evaporates in a drier climate cooling off the skin. In humidity, the body has a hard time cooling down as the sweat stays on the skin. My daughter in law says it stays hot even in the shade where they live. There is also more danger of heat related stress in humid climates because the body can’t cool down. 

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the dry heat with a couple gallons of skin moisturizer to dump on every morning. Even if it does feel like I opened the oven when I go outside, I don’t want to feel the thick humid air in my lungs. What I really need is a home in Southern Utah with a cabin in Montana for the summer months. I could just skip the heat.