You're not just imagining things. It's been an exceptionally humid summer so far.
This is where I found such data.
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In order to come to this conclusion, I did three things.
- I specifically wanted to look at places with at least 50 years of data, so as to not limit the sample size.
- We looked at the average dew point. We explained previously why the dew point is a better measure of mugginess, compared to the relative humidity.
- We looked at this data from June 1 (the official start to meteorological summer) through now (July 21 as of this posting).
Where does the humidity rank?
By looking at the average dew point for places with at least 50 years of data, I found that Raleigh and Fayetteville are experiencing their most humid summers on record. Goldsboro, Rocky Mount and Wilson were the only other places that met the 50-year stipulation, and they're seeing their second-most humid summer on record.
Why so sticky?
We've seen a pretty persistent pattern in recent weeks, headed by the Bermuda High.
High pressure located near Bermuda helps to bring tropical moisture up into parts of the United States.
Meanwhile, the upper levels winds that could bring in any shot of refreshing air have stayed locked up toward the US-Canada border.
At the same time, the Gulf and the Atlantic waters are warmer-than-average. This means the Bermuda High is transporting warmer, more humid air into the Southern and Eastern U.S.
Why do we care?
Aside from it feeling more uncomfortable, this amount of moisture has to go somewhere, right?
This is why you're hearing so much about flooding, not just locally, but in other parts of the country. There have reportedly been a record number (to date) of Flash Flood Warnings issued nationwide.
Weather systems can tap into this moisture, wringing it out like a wet towel. And because the upper level winds are so light, the storms sit and dump rain over the same areas for hours at a time.
In Chapel Hill, alone, it's been the second-wettest month on record. Even still, it's less than eight inches shy of September 1999. That's when storms like Dennis and Floyd moved through the area.
This kind of humidity has also led to the frequent heat alerts we've seen.
Meteorologist Kat Campbell posted that the last six days have seen a heat index of 100° or above.
This has been especially concerning to people in Enfield, who've been without power for days after a severe storm moved through the area.
Have questions about the weather and how it works?
Send me an email with the subject line 'Ask the Meteorologist' to cmichaels@pugongyingbo.com