It’s a less-than-delightful characteristic of living in a state with lots of crops: corn sweat.
You might’ve heard chatter about the vegetable’s perspiration online with users on TikTok and Reddit claiming it’s the catalyst of this week’s heat wave in the Midwest. In Cincinnati alone, the scorching temperatures combined with the high humidity will result in a heat index value up to 103 degrees, the National Weather Service stated in a heat advisory.
And it’s no secret there is plenty of corn in Ohio. In fact, there are around 3.6 million acres of the crop in the state, according to USDA data. And corn does, in fact, “sweat” out moisture with its leaves and releases the moisture 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.
Is that why it’s so hot in Cincinnati? Here’s what we know.
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.
Is corn sweat why it’s so hot in Cincinnati?
No, corn sweat is not the primary cause behind the heat wave Cincinnati is experiencing this week.
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 Ohioans’ spirit this week is from the Gulf of Mexico and from a front moving in from the West and the South, according to Campbell. All that moisture is getting pooled into the Ohio Valley causing the humidity this week that will remain through early next week, he added.
Take a look at the temperatures to expect in Cincinnati for the next week.
Seven-day Cincinnati forecast
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind.
Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71. Calm wind.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 103. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. Southwest wind 3 to 5 mph.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 92.
Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Source: National Weather Service, Wilmington.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What is ‘corn sweat’ and is it affecting Cincinnati’s humidity this week?
Reporting by Grace Tucker and Nathan Hart, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
