Why is Florida so humid?
Because it's surrounded by warm water: the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic and Gulf Stream on the other. Air that passes over that water loads up with moisture, so summer dew points sit in the 70s °F for weeks at a time.
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Warm water, wet air
The warmer the water, the more it evaporates. In summer the Gulf of Mexico and the waters off Florida are bathtub-warm, often in the upper 80s °F. A large high-pressure system over the Atlantic (the Bermuda High) pumps that moist air across Florida and up through the Southeast and as far as the Midwest and Northeast.
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Daily storms
Florida is a narrow peninsula with sea breezes pushing in from both coasts. On summer afternoons they collide over the middle of the state and force the moist air up into thunderstorms, which is why Florida gets more lightning per square mile than any other US state. The storms cool things briefly, then the humidity comes right back.
It's not just Florida
Houston, New Orleans and the whole Gulf Coast share the same moisture source, and in summer it reaches far inland. When the Midwest feels tropical, the trail usually leads back to the Gulf.
Questions people ask
- When is Florida least humid?
- Winter and early spring, when dry continental air from the north reaches the state more often.
- Why does it feel hotter in Florida than in Arizona at the same temperature?
- High humidity stops sweat from evaporating, so the heat index climbs well above the air temperature. In dry Arizona heat, sweat cools you efficiently.