Low humidity in winter dries out skin, irritates airways, and causes static electricity. It also dries out wood floors, trim, and furniture. High humidity in summer promotes mold growth, dust mite reproduction, and makes your home feel hotter than the thermostat reads — so your AC works harder to compensate.

The ideal indoor humidity range is 30–50%. Most Central Texas homes swing well outside that range seasonally without whole-home humidity control. Abilene’s dry climate makes winter humidity particularly low, while the Austin metro area sees high summer humidity that strains cooling systems.