When is the most humid time of the year? (Minneapolis: house, tornado)

[ILI.EB]

Hello again,

So far, the only thing that really concerns me about moving to your area is the humidity. Having lived all over the west for a while, I have never had to deal with humidity after early morning. My one visit to Florida made me swear I'd never move to a humid region. How humid is it during the summer months in your area and how is it now? If I were to just leave today and visit, would I experience it at all? This is something I must know before I make the move.

I have one other question - though totally off topic.
Is the city alive enough for somebody to order a pizza (or other food) at 1am and have it delivered?

[rzzz]

It's pretty humid throughout the summer. July and August and much of September. It is similar to much of the midwest and the east coast. It isn't as bad as Florida or Georgia but it might seem like it if you are coming from a dry mountain area like Utah or Colorado. I believe Pizza Luce delivers until 3 am.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

in/around the rainiest time of year when it's the hottest....Late June or July. You can do worse than MN for humidity, but it DOES get humid and sometimes EXTREMELY humid several times a year, where if you don't have A/C you WILL be miserable! It's not long-lasting though, but in general, anywhere tornadoes can and do form, there will ALSO be humidity (MN is arguably part of Tornado Alley and can have wild stormy weather). It's days like these though that the beaches are SWARMING! It's a place of extremes....just get used to that and try not to (outwardly) complain too much (or you'll sound "soft")

Places in Uptown, Downtown, Northeast/U of M all have late delivery until as late as 3 a.m. Otherwise it's just standard hours in most (family) n'hoods. Luce is good, but I personally love Davanni's in Minneapolis --awesome quentessential Twin Cities pizza! Minneapolis actually does pizza VERY well for not being Chicago or New York City (or New Haven, CT) -- better than any other city I've lived in or visited, with those exceptions! Purely my opinion though.

[golfgal]

Actually, it's really humid much of the winter but the cold temps disguise that.

[MplsTodd]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Actually, it's really humid much of the winter but the cold temps disguise that.

I always thought it was really dry during the winter. I can remember Paul Douglas comparing the Twin Cities to a desert in winter due to the dryness. I used to live in New Jersey and thought that 30 degrees out east felt colder than 30 degrees in Minnesota because it was a damp cold out east and a dry cold in MN.
Regarding summer humidity, It comes and goes: sometimes the weather front brings humid air from the gulf or Texas, other times it brings cool, dry air from the Canadian prairies. July and August can be quite humid, September is usually perfect weather wise, with dryer air.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Originally Posted by MplsTodd

I always thought it was really dry during the winter. I can remember Paul Douglas comparing the Twin Cities to a desert in winter due to the dryness. I used to live in New Jersey and thought that 30 degrees out east felt colder than 30 degrees in Minnesota because it was a damp cold out east and a dry cold in MN.
Regarding summer humidity, It comes and goes: sometimes the weather front brings humid air from the gulf or Texas, other times it brings cool, dry air from the Canadian prairies. July and August can be quite humid, September is usually perfect weather wise, with dryer air.

Yep...in fact, the dewpoint can be NEGATIVE during winter at times (which is probably why my skin cracks open like the Grand Canyon!). Humid/moist cold air is the WORST, btw, and you get that in places near water that hover around the freezing mark (Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Boston, etc.). That's the most underrated cold weather of them all, and it often pales in comparison to the dry, -10 degree variety we get here, yet we're "too cold" by most American standards.....oh well!

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by MplsTodd

I always thought it was really dry during the winter. I can remember Paul Douglas comparing the Twin Cities to a desert in winter due to the dryness. I used to live in New Jersey and thought that 30 degrees out east felt colder than 30 degrees in Minnesota because it was a damp cold out east and a dry cold in MN.
Regarding summer humidity, It comes and goes: sometimes the weather front brings humid air from the gulf or Texas, other times it brings cool, dry air from the Canadian prairies. July and August can be quite humid, September is usually perfect weather wise, with dryer air.

Relative humidity values in the winter are deceptively high, especially at very low temperatures (e.g. -5F with a dew point of -10F is 78%). When he refers to a "desert", he is most likely alluding to the indoors. Say you heat a house to 70 in that -5 weather. The temperature changes by 75 degrees, but the dew point stays (effectively) more or less the same - in other words, no moisture is added to the air. So you end up with a temperature of 70F, a dew point of -10F, and a relative humidity of...less than 4%. This can put a lot of strain on people and plants. One of the most uncomfortable parts of a MN winter for me is the low humidity.

And personally, I actually think the 30's feels warmer when it is humid out. However, a lot of people beg to differ with me.

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by ILI.EB

Hello again,

So far, the only thing that really concerns me about moving to your area is the humidity. Having lived all over the west for a while, I have never had to deal with humidity after early morning. My one visit to Florida made me swear I'd never move to a humid region. How humid is it during the summer months in your area and how is it now? If I were to just leave today and visit, would I experience it at all? This is something I must know before I make the move.

I have one other question - though totally off topic.
Is the city alive enough for somebody to order a pizza (or other food) at 1am and have it delivered?

Mid-June through early September is the most humid time in Minneapolis. July and early August are probably the core period.

One thing you'll find nice about the Twin Cities is the weather is variable in the summer. It's not like Florida where it is moderately hot and humid day after day. Summers also vary greatly. Last summer, it was hot and humid nearly every July day; heat indices approached 120. The Summers of 2009 or 2008 or 2004, on the other hand, was comfortably cool.

[Beenhere4ever]

The humidity starts its worst part in July. By the middle of August, there is a tapering off. I always figure the last week of July and the first week of August are the best times to be anywhere else.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by tvdxer

One of the most uncomfortable parts of a MN winter for me is the low humidity.

And personally, I actually think the 30's feels warmer when it is humid out. However, a lot of people beg to differ with me.

You got that right!!! As a 43 year resident of MN, and now a 16 year resident of Las Vegas, I can now testify to the difference between a 30's temp in the desert vs. MN. That 5-15% humidity level in the winter here is a painful curse, and more painful with windchill!

How many times, in winter here, I envy my relatives enjoying a nice balmy 32 degrees up there with high humidity. Clouds serve as a blanket!

On the plus side, there's the cooler delightful summer evenings with no sweat, no mosquito's, no gnats or flies!