‘Corn Sweat’ is aiding in the uncomfortable heat across Mid-Missouri
As the heat continues to build in Mid-Missouri it’s causing numerous problems, from buckling roadways, heat related illnesses, and even a rise in humidity thanks to vegetation.
Mid-Missouri lies on the extreme southern edge of the corn belt, which since the mid 1800s has predominantly been dominated by farming. It’s this corn belt that can contribute to extremely dangerous heat indices across Mid-Missouri and make it feel quite uncomfortable when outdoors.
You may have heard the term “corn sweat” used in a sentence before in reference to the heat. While crops across the Midwest aren’t contributing to the heat that is building, they are adding to the effects of how it feels.
“Corn sweat” is essentially evapotranspiration, which is the process that plants undergo to release water into the atmosphere. Much like sweat evaporates off of our bodies, water evaporates off of plants. This adds additional water vapor to the surrounding air and raises the dew point, which increases the humidity and makes it feel miserable outside.
This is why it can feel significantly hotter in some areas and not in others. In addition to the “corn sweat” the wet spring we saw is also adding to the increase in humidity across Mid-Missouri. To date this summer, the highest dewpoint we have seen is in the upper 70s, but some changes are on the way that will make it feel more enjoyable to head outside.
An interesting thing to note about humidity is that it limits just how warm an area can get, because most of the sun’s energy is used to evaporate water at the surface and on plants. This process is done through latent heating, and is a cooling process. While it doesn’t feel cool outside, it does limit just how warm we can get through the day, but it also increases the heat index.
Humidity is one reason why some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded are found in desert regions, where there is very dry air in place.
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