"The tiny but annoying shocks that we administer to ourselves in the winter come from static electricity. ... When we shuffle across the floor on cool, dry days, our shoes pick up electrons from the rug. From these, our bodies accumulate a negative charge (an excess of electrons). Then, whenever we touch a grounded object such as a radiator or a less-charged human being, a spark made up of these excess electrons will jump from our fingers to the object....

The warmer air we enjoy (in spring) holds more moisture than does the cold air of winter, and that moisture is what saves us. Air is a poor conductor ...... Damp air is a better conductor than dry air, so static electricity need not build up very far before it "leaks" out of the air to surrounding objects. Dry air is such a poor conductor that a charge will build to very high levels before the air's resistance is overcome and a spark jumps to ground."