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FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Heat and humidity are gripping the upper Midwest, including Minnesota and North Dakota. Part of the reason it feels so humid right now is in the literal roots planted around the area.
The corn crop is contributing to the muggy air we’re all experiencing; many people call it “corn sweat.”
“This time of year, crops are in the reproductive stage, specifically corn, and it emits a lot of water vapor,” explains Climatologist Eric Hunt.
Officially known as “evapotranspiration,” it’s when water evaporates from plants like corn or soybeans. It’s a way to cool the plant when it gets too hot, which is typically in July and August.
That water vapor, combined with other water molecules in the air, makes things outside feel even worse.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, one acre of corn gives off up to 4,000 gallons of water each day during growing season.
“During the daytime hours it’s just emitting a lot of water vapor, and adding moisture to the lower boundary layers and leaving us with higher humidity than we would otherwise have in this region. In English that means it can get very, very humid at the surface and make us miserable,” Hunt explains.
Hunt says this is a typical process of healthy crops. Now is the peak time for corn sweat, likely dying down as the summer ends.
Experts also say, with recent rainfall, corn crops can pull in additional moisture from the soil and release it into the atmosphere.
