# Why aren't we comfortable at 98.6deg F, zero humidity?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-we-comfortable-at-98-6deg-f-zero-humidity/587361>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-we-comfortable-at-98-6deg-f-zero-humidity/587361 "2011-06-30T05:13:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-we-comfortable-at-98-6deg-f-zero-humidity/587361/21 "2011-07-03T01:34:54Z")

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> [@Lionne](#):
>
> This may seem a silly question but…does someone who can tolerate a higher temperature (in fact, prefers it) of say 82 degrees over the normal 74 degrees mean that they produce less waste heat? Therefore they are comfortable with a higher temp because they are putting off less heat? Or does it have to do with something else entirely?

I think it’s mostly to do with insulation. When I was 5’11" and 135 lbs I was constantly cold while living in LA. Now 30+ years later when I’m 5’11" and 195 lbs, even winter in the midwest snow doesn’t seem nearly as cold as a summer day in LA did.

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**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-we-comfortable-at-98-6deg-f-zero-humidity/587361/22 "2011-07-04T02:35:17Z")

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Insulation would make sense, as I’m a small woman with little body fat and I’m always cold when others seem to be comfortable.

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**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-we-comfortable-at-98-6deg-f-zero-humidity/587361/23 "2011-07-05T15:43:14Z")

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With no humidity, 98.6° F is pretty comfortable to me. I was in Las Vegas last weekend sitting on my dad’s patio; it was 105° F in the shade, with very low humidity. It was great. Here in Michigan I start to complain about the heat when it hits 80° F.

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