Why does steam only come out of our mouths in the cold weather? Where does this 'white smoke' disappear to in the summer?
- byShikha Srivastava
- 02 Jan, 2026
Imagine it's cold. You get out from under your blanket, and suddenly a large puff of white smoke comes out of your mouth. As children, we all did this to show off to our friends – exhaling and making smoke rings without a match or a cigarette. But have you ever stopped to wonder where this smoke comes from? Does a fire suddenly start burning in our stomachs when December arrives? And the biggest question: why does this "magic" disappear in the heat of June and July?

Our body is a 'walking, talking heater.'
First, it's important to know that our body is 70% water. Our lungs are always moist. When we exhale, it's not just air (carbon dioxide) that comes out, but also our body heat and some moisture. This moisture is in the form of a gas, which is why we can't see it.
The collision of cold air and warm breath
In winter, the outside temperature is very cold, while our body temperature is approximately 37 degrees Celsius (98.6°F). As soon as the warm air from your mouth hits the icy outside air, it cools down suddenly. Due to the cold, the "invisible moisture" in the air instantly turns into tiny droplets of water.
In scientific terms, this is called condensation. This is the same process by which clouds form in the sky. So, what comes out of your mouth in winter is not smoke, but a tiny cloud.
Why is this smoke not visible in summer?
Now the question is, where does this "white smoke" go in the summer? In summer, the outside temperature is also close to our body temperature. When you exhale, the warm air from your body meets warm air outside. There isn't a significant temperature difference, so the moisture doesn't get a chance to cool down and form water droplets. It remains in gaseous form, mixes with the air, and we don't see anything.
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