For various reasons, it can be desirable to subject fuel cells to drying procedures. In solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells for instance, drying may be carried out prior to storing at below freezing temperatures, or to recover cell performance lost following freeze/thaw events. An improved drying method involves drying the cell uniformly throughout. That is, the drying power over the length of the fuel cell is adjusted to be essentially uniform. This can be accomplished by using an appropriate set of operating conditions. The improved drying method can improve the lifetime of the fuel cell.