Tennessee is a beautiful, albeit, pretty humid state. While the state does experience all four seasons, the summers are known for being quite muggy. If you are planning to travel to Tennessee or maybe even move there, you may want to know a little more about the layout and most importantly find out what part of Tennessee has the least humidity!
Johnson County, in the northeast corner of Tennessee, has the lowest recorded humidity of anywhere else in the state. The county seat, Mountain City, has an elevation of 2,418 feet, making it the highest point in the state, and consequently, the least humid.
If you want to find out a little more about what makes Tennessee so humid, why Johnson County is the least humid, and what you can find there, keep reading! In this article, we are going to go through everything you need to know about beating the humidity in beautiful Tennessee.
What Part of Tennessee Has the Lowest Humidity?
As you now know, Johnson County in the northeast corner of Tennessee has the least humidity in the state. The county shares its borders with both North Carolina and Virginia. The county has an incredibly high elevation, at least compared to the rest of Tennessee, and the various cities can be found between 2,000 and 3,500 feet in elevation.
Its elevation is one of the main reasons for Johnson County’s lower humidity average than the rest of the state. And its location in the northeast corner also leads to less influence from the Gulf of Mexico’s warm air stream.
While the summers in Johnson County can still be quite humid, the spring, fall, and winter months will be significantly less humid than in the rest of the state.
As with anywhere in Tennessee, the mornings are much less humid than the afternoon, and you may still get a humid afternoon here and there.
What is the Weather Like In Johnson County?
Similarly to the rest of the state, Johnson County enjoys all four seasons. The summers are often hot, with an average high of 81.2° F and winters can be quite cold with an average low of 21.1° F.
It is considered the coldest place in Tennessee and it experiences an average of 16 inches of snow per year. That is quite a lot considering some cities in Tennessee have less than two!
Of course, even though Johnson County has the least humidity of anywhere in the state, there are certainly still some humid days. So when is it most humid in JC? July and August are absolutely the most humid months as they are also the hottest in temperature.
If you’re heading to Johnson County for a visit, September is the most comfortable month for both temperature and humidity.
Why is the Northeast Corner Less Humid?
Now that you know a little bit about Johnson County, you may be wondering why its location in the northeast corner of the state makes it the least humid area.
Here’s the thing, Tennessee is greatly affected by the warm winds that come from the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Because it is situated further north, JC experiences far less of these winds.
This, coupled with the fact that it sits at a high elevation, creates far less humidity than the lower southern areas in the state.
Is High Humidity Bad for You?
Now that we’ve discussed the average humidity in Tennessee as well as where in the state you can find the least humidity (remember, it’s in Johnson County), let’s learn a little more about humidity and most importantly if it’s actually bad for your health.
Most people try to avoid humidity because it is uncomfortable to live in. You have probably experienced at least one hot and muggy day in your life, and if so, you might remember how uncomfortable you were in your own skin!
When it comes to living in the United States, most states actually have a fairly high average humidity. Even though Tennessee has a high humidity rate of 69.4%, it’s actually ranked the 8th least humid state in the country!
So even though we all have to live with it, health experts say that extreme humidity can be quite detrimental to your health. Bacteria and airborne viruses thrive in high humidity, your respiratory system struggles, and it can cause lethargy and decrease your energy levels.
The Bottom Line
Johnson County, Tennessee has the least humidity in the state because of its northeastern location and elevation.
While you may still experience some humid days here, they are far less frequent than anywhere else in the state.
Now you know the answer to our original question, as well as a little more about why humidity is important, and even why Johnson County, Tennessee may have one of the lowest humidity averages in the country!
