5 Reasons a 70-Degree New England Fall Feels Different in Spring or Summer

It's been quite the warm fall all over New England, yet we don't need that air conditioning for a 75-degree day in October or November. However, May, or especially August, is often a different story.

Actually, one of the greatest things about a fall day in the 70s is having our windows open. So what's the deal with that exact same temperature feeling totally different depending on the season?

I thought it was just humidity playing a role, but according to Reader's Digest, this is where those "feels-like" temperatures come in. You know what I'm talking about—when that 90-degree summer scorcher on New Hampshire beaches feels like it's 101 degrees, or that 23-degree winter day in Maine feels like it's in the single digits outside.

From humidity and the jet stream to the angle of the sun, here are the four reasons why temperatures, like 70 degrees in the spring, feel different than in the fall.

LOCATION OF THE SUN

Since that big ball radiating warmth is higher and at a more direct angle in the spring and summer, then it's giving us more warmth. In the fall and winter, the sun's heat is more reflective versus direct, reducing the amount of heat absorbed by the ground and air.

GROUND TEMPERATURE

We know the ground radiates heat. Think about the pavement or sand on the beach in the warmer months versus fall and winter. In the spring and, of course, the summer, the ground radiates heat into our air, adding to the temperature outside.

In fall and especially winter, the ground is cold, which gives the air a colder feel.

HUMIDITY

We already touched on the reason why the same temperature in the fall feels cooler than in the spring and summer: Our air has more warm moisture in the spring and summer. We've all experienced that smothering, uncomfortable, muggy heat thanks to humidity that isn't nearly as high the rest of the year.

WIND

Strong winds whisk heat away from our skin and combined with everything else I've mentioned above, wind in the fall and winter will be chillier. Fall is the windiest season, and we've all experienced that dreaded wind chill in the winter.

BODY ACCLAMATION

Finally, our bodies get used to the current season, so when the seasons change, along with other factors, it takes some adapting. This is actually why sometimes that 70-degree day in November after weeks of the 50s can feel hot. The same thing happens in the summer when we're grabbing a light jacket on a 70-degree evening after experiencing days or weeks of high temps.