Michigan Residents Brace For Heat And Humidity From Corn Sweat

Despite its corny name, I assure you corn sweat is a very real weather phenomenon. Here's what makes summertime in the Midwest feels so humid and sticky:

Why Michigan Summers Feel Worse Than They Used To

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Think of Michigan weather in the thick of summer: it’s hot, the air feels heavy and still, and you’re just praying for even the slightest breeze. Sound familiar?

If you figured muggy summers in Michigan are caused by our Great Lakes, you're correct. However, it's not just our lake that affect our weather and humidity levels, it's also our agriculture. As weather outlet Indiana Weather Online states,

Fun fact! 1 acre of corn can release up to 4000+ gallons of water into the air every single day! This is why it feels so darn muggy during the summer!

As a Michigan girl, I had never heard about the phenomenon known as corn sweat until I moved out to Nebraska-- you know, the Cornhusker State. I was so confused as to why the famously landlocked state could be so incredibly humid when there's no water around. Nearly every local I asked gave me the same answer: corn sweat.

But, How Much Corn is There in Michigan?

Michigan farmers harvest 297 million bushels of corn from 2.3 million acres of farmland. An acre is about the size of a football field. - Michigan Ag. Council

Why Does the Corn Sweat?

Corn cools itself by releasing water vapor, similar to the way humans sweat. In fact, all plants do this, but across millions of acres of Midwest farmland? All that added water vapor in the air can increase humidity leading to those sticky Michigan summer days-- brace yourself.