A multibillion-dollar industry is contributing to the stifling humidity plaguing the Midwest.
The United States is a global leader in several commodities, including corn. In 2022, the U.S. corn industry amounted to more than $91 billion, according to Statista. As much as one-third of that crop is used for feeding cattle, but corn has other uses, such as being turned into renewable fuel. ItThe Midwest is known for its expansive cornfields.
Corn can add 2 to 4 degrees to the dew point, or the temperature at which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor. Dew point and temperature are then used to determine the heat index, or how hot the air outside feels to the human body. Corn can add 3 to 5 degrees to the heat index. Other crops like soybeans also conduct evapotranspiration, but they are much smaller than corn, meaning their impact is minimal.
The phenomenon is exacerbating hot Midwest weather, which is already sporting tropical-like dewpoints of 80 to 85 degrees, according to a social media