This Unexpected State Is The Most Humid In America (And It's Not Florida)

You've probably heard it said before: "It's not the heat that gets you, it's the humidity." Although there are plenty of maxims that don't always add up — "Birds of a feather flock together" and "opposites attract" have contradicting meanings, for instance — this old saying about humidity happens to be true. It's science. Humidity, which is essentially just moisture in the air, makes it harder for your body to cool itself down through perspiration. After all, sweat doesn't evaporate quite so easily when the air is already 80% water.

The closer to the equator and to the coast you get, the more humid it becomes. This happens because seawater lingers in the air, and collects as sweat on the back of the neck, weighing us down — it's uncomfortable, to say the least, and it makes it even harder to go for runs, tame frizzy hair, and enjoy meals outside. That's why the worst time of year to visit China, for example, directly correlates with humidity. As does the worst time to visit Disney World in Orlando, where most suggest traveling between November and March (dry season), when it doesn't rain quite so much.

Although Florida is certainly among the most humid states in the country, it actually takes a backseat to another, unexpected winner: Alaska. Humidity here averages out at nearly 77%, which is several percentage points higher than Florida's 74%. This is largely due to moisture from the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Beaufort Sea, all of which surround the state.

Although Alaska might (technically) have the highest humidity, it also has the lowest average temperature of all 50 states. As Forbes explains, hotter air can hold more humidity, so when climatologists say that Alaska is the "most humid" in the country, what they really mean is that it has the highest relative humidity based on its temperature. Here, moisture in the air doesn't mean tropical like it does in Florida — it still means frozen tundra, skiing, and tobogganing.

Alaska has long been America's least visited state, and its breathtaking parks, mountains, and abundant wildlife all make it drastically underrated when it comes to vacationing. From watching bears in their natural habitats at this little-known observation area to spotting the northern lights in Fairbanks, there's plenty to see and do. 

Beyond that, cruises are also a popular way to explore Alaska, and most leave from cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver. Temperatures are typically best — aka, the warmest — during the summer months, averaging around 60 or 70 degrees. It can get pretty dark the rest of the year (literally), when there are only a few hours of daylight and small-town festivals are scheduled to break up the monotony.