Humidity near you
Humidity now near Chicago, IL
Dew point 57°F: Becoming "sticky" with muggy evenings. (NWS comfort guide for summer).
Station readings (last 24 h)NWS forecast (next 48 h)Now
Dew point calculator
Have a thermometer and a hygrometer? Enter both readings to get the dew point and how humid it feels.
Calculated with the vapor-pressure formula the NWS El Paso weather calculators use (6.112 × e^(17.67·T / (T + 243.5)), T in °C).
Humidity or dew point: which one matters?
The National Weather Service explains relative humidity as "a measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air compared to the total amount of vapor that can exist in the air at its current temperature." The dew point is "the temperature to which the air must be cooled in order for that air to be saturated." Because warm air can hold more water, the same air can show 90% humidity at dawn and 45% in the afternoon without any water being added.
That is why the NWS says: "if you want a real judge of just how 'dry' or 'humid' it will feel outside, look at the dew point instead of the RH. The higher the dew point, the muggier it will feel."
| Dew point | NWS La Crosse (summer) |
|---|---|
| 55°F or lower | "dry and comfortable" |
| Above 55°F, below 65°F | "becoming 'sticky' with muggy evenings" |
| 65°F or higher | "lots of moisture in the air, becoming oppressive" |
Quoted from the NWS La Crosse page "Dew Point vs Humidity", which gives these levels for the summer months. The NWS writes "between 55 and 65" for the middle level; this tool counts exactly 55°F as dry and comfortable and exactly 65°F as oppressive, as the first and last lines of the NWS scale say. In winter a low dew point mostly means dry air: dry skin and static, not comfort.
Humidity indoors
Outdoor humidity is not the same as the air in your home. The U.S. EPA advises keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent. To see your own number, you need a hygrometer: our hygrometers for the home and hygrometer picks compare options, and how to change the humidity in a room explains what to do about it.
Hot and humid outside? Combine temperature and humidity in our heat index calculator. More on the science: understanding dew point.
Quick answers
What is the humidity right now?
Press "Use my location" or enter your ZIP code above: you get the relative humidity and dew point from the nearest National Weather Service station with a recent reading, how humid it feels, and the hours before and after.
What is a comfortable humidity?
Outdoors, the NWS judges comfort by dew point: 55°F or lower is "dry and comfortable". Indoors, the EPA advises 30 to 50 percent relative humidity, and below 60 percent.
Why is the humidity so high in the morning?
Relative humidity compares the water in the air with what the air can hold at its temperature. Cool morning air holds less, so the same moisture gives a higher percentage; as the air warms up, the percentage drops.
What is a good dew point?
On the NWS La Crosse summer scale, 55°F or lower is dry and comfortable; from 65°F it becomes oppressive.
What happens with my location?
If you press "Use my location", your browser asks for permission and sends your position to our server once. We only use it to find the nearest ZIP code and do not store it.
Does it work outside the U.S.?
No. It uses U.S. ZIP codes and National Weather Service stations only.
Sources: National Weather Service API (readings and hourly forecast) · NWS La Crosse: Dew Point vs Humidity · NWS Louisville: Discussion on Humidity · NWS El Paso: dew point calculator · U.S. EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home · U.S. Census Bureau: Gazetteer Files (ZCTA)
