ROANOKE, Va. – Following a record warm December, our early January cold spell may come as a shock to the system...in more ways than one. Cold, dry, Canadian air is in place and has been at times the past week.
In addition to chapped lips and cracked skin, we may be shocking each other a little more too.
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Let’s explain why.
Static electricity refers to the buildup of an electrical charge. A lot of us remember protons, neutrons and electrons; each carries a different charge in an atom.
Your body becomes positively charged whenever you rub up on different materials.
So whenever you go to touch something else, like a doorknob especially, you feel a shock. That shock is your body discharging, going from positively to neutrally charged.
What makes Tuesday and Wednesday special, though?
Colder air holds less moisture. Moisture on any kind of service prevents electrical charges from building up. That lack of moisture means that your body can carry a higher charge and, in turn, create a stronger shock whenever you touch something.
This is compounded by the fact that modern-day heating and cooling systems pull the dry air from outside inside.
So for instance, the temperature outside may be 38° with a dew point of 0°, which translates to a relative humidity of 19%. If your thermostat is set to 70° and the dew point is still 0°, the relative humidity inside is down to about 6%!
In order to combat this, you might want to consider turning on a humidifier.