Why Missouri’s Heat Feels Worse—Blame Corn Sweat

Yes, I know that it's now summer in Missouri so it's supposed to be hot, but it's now hotter than ever and I can prove with science that it's the fault of corn sweat - yes, sweating corn.

If you think that I'm scapegoating corn for the somewhat miserable humidity that has been prevalent in Missouri for the past several weeks, I am not alone in my thinking. Even PBS shared some science about why corn is the culprit for rising humidity levels in Missouri and other Midwestern states.

What is corn sweat and why has it become more of a Missouri problem?

According to Ohio State University, corn sweat "occurs as corn absorbs water through its roots, uses it for growth and photosynthesis, and then releases excess moisture through tiny pores on its leaves". They go on to say that "large-scale release of moisture from cornfields can significantly increase humidity". Tell us something we don't know about the increase of humidity. I always used to blame the rivers that carve through and next to much of Missouri and surely they do play a part, but corn is not altogether innocent. I drive past numerous corn fields every day, so there's plenty of potential sweating in every direction. Add to that the regular heat of a Missouri summer and you have a recipe for miserableness.