Seattle to Wisconsin in July?

[Bobbie Mayer]

If I took a trip from Seattle area to Wisconsin in July, would I be comfortable camping at night? (I could probably sleep inside a house at the Wisconsin end but would be camping on the way in my trailer, no AC.) I'm worried about humidity after the Rockies.

[Vtec]

Could be humid, could be perfect, or a little of each. WI is not all that warm in July but you can't count on weather. We didn't have A/C until just recently and did OK most of the time. Generally it is not a really humid climate overall.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Vtec

Could be humid, could be perfect, or a little of each. WI is not all that warm in July but you can't count on weather. We didn't have A/C until just recently and did OK most of the time. Generally it is not a really humid climate overall.

Thanks. The trip would be to a family wedding in Indiana but we could probably sleep inside for that. It's very iffy right now as to whether I'll do it, anyway. I guess we could find a motel if it was too humid. I don't care about daytime as we'd be driving but would like it to be cooler and at least sleep-comfy (with a fan) at night.

[Dave and Kathie]

Take along a portable fan. We have one like this that we can use with batteries if we don't have hookups (which equals no AC). They come in different sizes.
o2 cool fan

Have fun! Happy Trails,
Kathie

[Jack L]

Also be prepared for mosquitoes.

[Bobbie Mayer]

My fan will run on the trailer batteries but I also have a portable. And window screens. I do hate bugs, though, so that's a big downside. I probably won't go, anyway, and will do the Wisconsin trip at a better time (without the July wedding in Indiana.)

[Wayne Collins]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

If I took a trip from Seattle area to Wisconsin in July, would I be comfortable camping at night? (I could probably sleep inside a house at the Wisconsin end but would be camping on the way in my trailer, no AC.) I'm worried about humidity after the Rockies.

It's probably drier east of the mountains. than in Seattle
Weather patterns have been so variable lately . you just need to be flexible and go with the flow.

You can do a search of weather norms for various places - on line.

[chetandren]

Originally Posted by Wayne Collins

It's probably drier east of the mountains. than in Seattle
Weather patterns have been so variable lately . you just need to be flexible and go with the flow.

You can do a search of weather norms for various places - on line.

I have to agree with Wayne. The journey will be less humid than the Emerald City. And once you get to WI, it will depend on how close you are to the lake. Are you going across on 90?

[larryf]

After living in MN and having a cabin in WI and traveling I94-I90 to the west coast several times and living in the west I found humidity is not a problem in the West like WI. Most of the west is fairly arid, the heat is much more comfortable and the night generally cool off. The only real humidity problems are from the Pacific to 150 miles east and it's not a hot humid climate it's generally cool.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by larryf

After living in MN and having a cabin in WI and traveling I94-I90 to the west coast several times and living in the west I found humidity is not a problem in the West like WI. Most of the west is fairly arid, the heat is much more comfortable and the night generally cool off. The only real humidity problems are from the Pacific to 150 miles east and it's not a hot humid climate it's generally cool.

What Larry said. Humidity is not a problem in the Northwest since it isn't hot, and besides, it never gets very high unless it is raining for days in the winter. (Condensation can be more of a problem since it isn't hot.)

[Glenn Baglo]

Isn't rain 100 per cent humidity?

[Bobbie Mayer]

The drops may be 100% but the air isn't.

[Jon in AZ]

Humidity is about water vapor, an invisible gas, not liquid water. Relative humidity measures how close to fully saturated with water vapor a mass of air is. 50% relative humidity means the air contains half as much water vapor as it is capable of holding.

The ability of air to hold water vapor is a function of temperature: warmer air can contain more water vapor (more space between the molecules, I guess). What typically happens is that warm, humid air rises and cools. As it does, its relative humidity increases, not because it gains more water, but because it can hold less. If it starts with enough water vapor and/or cools enough, the air can no longer hold the water vapor (it passes the point of 100% saturation), so it condenses out as a liquid, forming clouds. If the clouds become heavy enough with condensed liquid water droplets, they clump together and fall as rain.

So, rain falling only means somewhere above you the air has reached 100% relative humidity. It is possible to have near 100% at ground level (with or without rain), but that's very unlikely except in the Southeast.

If the relative humidity is high but less than 100%, moving air allows the saturated air around your body to be replaced with less saturated air, permitting evaporation to continue, cooling your skin.

In short, use a fan. And drink lots of water.

I grew up in MD where summers could be 95+ degrees and 95%+ relative humidity and no AC. Fans. We camped over most of the US, including the Southwest deserts, in the summer without AC. Fans. I won't say we were exactly comfortable, but it was tolerable.

We never tried to camp in the Southeast in the summer.

[slowpat]

I am Warshington born. I lived in Up Nort Wisconsin for 2 years, next to Chequamegon Bay. I handled the winters quite fine, but the heat and humidity of the summer was a total shock, but that usually happened in August and late July. I would want an air conditioner. I even went in and soaked in Lake Superior to cool off after work.

Our Western Warshington hot days are not even close.

Just had an idea. Put pontoons on your trailer and head out into the lake. When you get away from shore the air temperature is much more civilized.

That's my take on it.

Oh, the bugs were not bad where I lived except for the ticks. Icky things, those ticks. (shivers)

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by slowpat

I am Warshington born. I lived in Up Nort Wisconsin for 2 years, next to Chequamegon Bay. I handled the winters quite fine, but the heat and humidity of the summer was a total shock, but that usually happened in August and late July. I would want an air conditioner. I even went in and soaked in Lake Superior to cool off after work.

Our Western Warshington hot days are not even close.

Just had an idea. Put pontoons on your trailer and head out into the lake. When you get away from shore the air temperature is much more civilized.

That's my take on it.

Oh, the bugs were not bad where I lived except for the ticks. Icky things, those ticks. (shivers)

Yeah, no humidity here. Plus, after living in Fresno, even 50% feels humid to me. I lived in N. Minnesota one year and the bugs were bad (once the snow melted in May) but I don't remember humidity.

[Nancy]

Hi Bobbie,

We have taken that trip several times going to Oregon for the Brandon gathering.

It can be very hot. I remember having to motel in Walla Walla.

We learned to try to time our drives and arrive at higher elevations at the end of the day to reduce the night time heat. There were several campgrounds along the way that became our favorites. We have no air conditioning and do not do well in the heat. Sometimes we just drove because it was too darn hot to stop. Felt sorry for the van.

We always loved the Oregon coast in July.

Nancy

[BillE]

Originally Posted by slowpat

I am Warshington born. I lived in Up Nort Wisconsin for 2 years, next to Chequamegon Bay. I handled the winters quite fine, but the heat and humidity of the summer was a total shock, but that usually happened in August and late July. I would want an air conditioner. I even went in and soaked in Lake Superior to cool off after work.

Our Western Warshington hot days are not even close.

Just had an idea. Put pontoons on your trailer and head out into the lake. When you get away from shore the air temperature is much more civilized.

That's my take on it.

Oh, the bugs were not bad where I lived except for the ticks. Icky things, those ticks. (shivers)

You from Up Nort?..we go up Nort all the time.