Has this summer been muggier than usual? For nearly two-thirds of the country, the answer is yes.
Tens of millions of Americans in the central and eastern United States have suffered from an extraordinary bout of high humidity, pushing heat indexes into the triple digits and making it harder for people to cool off, especially at night.
The nation's capital and states including Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio recorded some of their highest dew points on record, experts said.
"We've had a much more humid summer than usual," said Owen Shieh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.
The last two months have been relatively mild as far as temperatures, experts said, with fewer heat waves than in recent years. But a lack of cold fronts and stagnant tropical air have helped cause a stifling summer for many.
