ClimateSeeker
Best Cities for Low Humidity

Photo by Michael Kirsh on Unsplash

20 Best Cities for Low Humidity

In these cities, summer heat stays dry. The heat index barely rises above the actual temperature, which means shade helps, a breeze actually cools you down, and a warm day feels like a warm day rather than a sauna.

In a humid city, heat is amplified. In Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates, it is not. The summer heat index, which incorporates moisture, barely moves from the actual temperature, meaning a 109°F (43°C) day reads close to 109°F (43°C), not ten degrees higher. That difference matters: shade actually helps, a breeze actually cools, and outdoor time in summer is a genuinely different experience from what the same temperature delivers in a humid city.

Low humidity is a product of dry geography. Arid climates produce it because there is little moisture in the air to begin with: the same conditions that limit rainfall also limit the humidity that makes heat unbearable. The 16 countries across 4 continents on this list reflect where those conditions concentrate, desert and semi-arid climates across the Southwest US, parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, and similar zones worldwide.

One characteristic of dry heat that is worth knowing: temperatures drop sharply after sunset. Cities that reach 95°F (35°C) at midday often cool to 65°F (18°C) or lower by midnight, because dry air holds heat less effectively than humid air. That daily swing changes how outdoor time works. Early mornings and evenings are usable in ways that peak afternoon often is not. Most people who have lived in both humid and dry heat develop a strong preference.

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Cities are selected for geographic diversity, so nearby cities do not crowd each other out.

  1. 1
    Al Ain City
    United Arab Emirates
    Feels like80°F (27°C)
    Actual high: 109°F (43°C)
  2. 2
    San Luis Rio Colorado
    Sonora, Mexico
    Feels like81°F (27°C)
    Actual high: 109°F (43°C)
  3. 3
    Sulaymaniyah
    Iraq
    Feels like86°F (30°C)
    Actual high: 106°F (41°C)
  4. 4
    Assiut
    Asyut, Egypt
    Feels like82°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 102°F (39°C)
  5. 5
    Ashgabat
    Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
    Feels like83°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 102°F (39°C)
  6. 6
    Shymkent
    Shymkent, Kazakhstan
    Feels like86°F (30°C)
    Actual high: 98°F (37°C)
  7. 7
    Salt Lake City
    Utah, United States
    Feels like81°F (27°C)
    Actual high: 93°F (34°C)
  8. 8
    Madrid
    Madrid, Spain
    Feels like82°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 93°F (34°C)
  9. 9
    Beni Mellal
    Morocco
    Feels like85°F (30°C)
    Actual high: 95°F (35°C)
  10. 10
    Albuquerque
    New Mexico, United States
    Feels like82°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 92°F (33°C)
  11. 11
    Batna City
    Algeria
    Feels like82°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 90°F (32°C)
  12. 12
    Tri-Cities
    Washington, United States
    Feels like90°F (32°C)
    Actual high: 98°F (36°C)
  13. 13
    Aguascalientes
    Mexico
    Feels like83°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 89°F (31°C)
  14. 14
    Volgograd
    Volgograd Oblast, Russia
    Feels like85°F (30°C)
    Actual high: 91°F (33°C)
  15. 15
    UEruemqi
    Xinjiang, China
    Feels like82°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 87°F (30°C)
  16. 16
    Fresno
    California, United States
    Feels like98°F (36°C)
    Actual high: 101°F (38°C)
  17. 17
    Asmara
    Eritrea
    Feels like82°F (28°C)
    Actual high: 86°F (30°C)
  18. 18
    Lusaka
    Zambia
    Feels like88°F (31°C)
    Actual high: 91°F (33°C)
  19. 19
    Menongue
    Angola
    Feels like89°F (32°C)
    Actual high: 92°F (33°C)
  20. 20
    Athens
    Attica, Greece
    Feels like91°F (33°C)
    Actual high: 94°F (34°C)
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