A record number of Americans are feeling sticky this summer, with over 70 million people sweating through the muggiest first two months on record due to climate change. The National Weather Service says that more than 27 states and Washington D.C. experienced a record amount of uncomfortable days in June and July, with average daily dew points above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dew point is a measure of moisture in the air, and this summer’s averages have been significantly higher than normal, with some areas reaching levels not seen since measurements began in 1950. The summer of 2025 has had dew points averaging at least 6 degrees higher than the 1951-2020 normals in many cities.
“This has been a very muggy summer,” said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at Climate Central. “The humid heat has been way up.” Climate scientist Cameron Lee notes that super sticky days are now stretching over more days and land, with areas experiencing not only greater average humidity but also more extreme humid days.
High humidity prevents the air from cooling at night, leading to multiple nighttime temperature records across the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and coastal states. The National Weather Service’s forecast operations chief, Zack Taylor, says that this can wear out the body, especially for those without access to cooling centers or air conditioning.
Climate change is exacerbating the issue, with the eastern US gaining an average of 2.5 degrees in summer dew point since 1950. This trend shows a massive increase over a relatively short period, with worst-case scenarios becoming more frequent. As Marshall Shepherd, University of Georgia meteorology professor, notes, “Summers now are not your grandparents’ summers.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/humid-muggy-sticky-climate-oppressive-summer-df1b506a3036a6ea0c4c8ad5bbd87429