Drive anywhere in Ohio for around 30 minutes, and chances are you’ll find yourself passing by a cornfield. In fact, there are around 3.6 million acres of the crop in the state, according to USDA data.
These corn plants don’t just stand there, they “sweat” out moisture with their leaves and release it into the atmosphere in a process known colloquially as “corn sweat” and officially as “evapotranspiration.”
A single acre of corn gives off an average of 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water each day, according to the National Weather Service. In Ohio, that means 10.8 billion to 14 billion gallons of water added to the atmosphere daily.
But before you blame the corn for Columbus’ upcoming muggy weather, learn what the experts have to say about it.
Does corn sweat make Ohio more humid?
Corn sweat certainly contributes to Ohio’s humidity, but it isn’t the primary source, according to NWS meteorologist Matthew Campbell.
Humidity and heat coming to the Ohio Valley this week are due to “large-scale weather patterns,” according to Campbell.
“But certainly the corn sweat doesn’t help (the humidity),” he said. “It’s not going to help us dry out for sure. That’s one thing. It’s not helping us dry out.”
The moisture from corn sweat is felt low to the ground near the fields themselves. Iowa, the United States’ corniest state, is a “poster child” for corn sweat, according to Campbell.
“If you have a really calm, hot day (in Iowa), if you go near a cornfield, you definitely can feel the increased moisture just coming off the plants and whatnot,” he said.
Transpiration from plants accounts for around 10% of the moisture in the air. The other 90% comes almost entirely from bodies of water, according to the National Weather Service.
In fact, the humidity on its way to dampen central Ohioans’ spirit this week is from the Gulf of Mexico and from a front moving in from the West, according to Campbell.
How hot will it get in Columbus this week?
Breaking and trending news reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com and at @NathanRHart on X and at nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What is ‘corn sweat,’ and does it affect Midwest humidity?
Reporting by Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
